Today’s processing industries demand that workers be connected to wireless devices for all manner of reasons: Site wide communication Condition monitoring VOIP for on-location Wi-Fi calling Worker safety Asset tracking E-permitting Remote mentor Equipment maintenance and inspection The list goes on. However, for hazardous area wireless products they must first be certified to the required standards. Installing wireless networks in hazardous areas requires careful, expert planning and execution. This article explains the hazards posed by radio frequency (RF) sources, the issues involved when installing wireless networks in hazardous areas, and how to minimise the potential risk. The Challenge for Hazardous Area Wireless The RF spectrum covers a wide range from radio waves to gamma rays, but the agreed area of RF under the explosion protection standards only considers the range from 9KHz to 60GHz. It […]

The main standards for hazardous area equipment globally are ATEX, IECEx and North American NEC 500/505. For ATEX and IECEx, covering most of the world, the IEC 60079 series of standards are typically used for the approval of equipment installed in hazardous areas. Most national or regional domains derive their own standards from the IECEx standards and issue a version, often identical, as their own national or regional standard. The most frequently used electrical equipment protection standards are: 60079-0 General requirements 60079-1 Explosion proof enclosures 60079-7 Increased safety 60079 -11 Intrinsic safety 60079 -15 Non sparking, hermetic sealing and restricted breathing 60079-18 Encapsulation Who Governs the Hazardous Area Standards? In Europe the ATEX directives ensure that every ATEX certificate must be recognised by a notified body. IEC standards are also already fully accepted in national […]