The safety of workers, whilst always important, is moving higher up the list of priorities for investment. Workers in process industry environments face a variety of risks over and above their counterparts in other industries. ‘Hazards of the job’ are that much more serious, with a higher potential risk. Falling objects, exposure to dangerous substances, fire, and explosion of flammable gas and dust are potential threats and whilst large-scale disasters are thankfully rare, they still occur. It is unlikely that any one location technology ticks all of your boxes, and there is no silver bullet. Hybrid location technology is the only practical solution to the complexities of the use cases in the process industries. It involves using two or more location technologies as part of the same solution: To deliver wider coverage with reduced infrastructure […]

This article aims to show the advantages of using RFID tags for asset management or in hazardous process industry settings compared to more traditional barcode solutions. Uses of RFID Tags and Barcodes in Hazardous Areas Radio signals are potential causes of explosions in hazardous areas. As such, the use of Radio Frequency Identification, known as RFID, needs to be carefully considered. Versatile and low cost, passive RFID systems can improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and aid productivity. These systems have proven valuable to industrial companies, helping with asset and personnel tracking, inventory management, maintenance planning, and more. As such, they are becoming more and more commonly found in hazardous areas. This rise in popularity is reflected in the updated IEC 60079-14 standard. In June 2014, a new clause concerning RFID tags was added and has potential […]

An Ex nR or restrictive breathing enclosure removes the fuel element of an explosion by stopping any flammable gasses entering the internal enclosure. In doing so, potentially explosive gases never come into contact with hot surfaces or an ignition source potentially present inside the enclosure. Restrictive breathing enclosures are only certified to Zone 2 hazardous areas, where the area is considered safe in normal operation with flammable gases only present in fault conditions. The technique ensures the cumulative concentration within the enclosure does not exceed the lower explosive limit for the gas or vapor concentration over short and long periods of time. A Ex nR enclosure typically has the following characteristics: Lightweight metallic or non-metallic construction Designed to prevent flammable gases entering High ingress protection levels Tightly sealed iWAPXN3 Zone 2/Division 2 Hazardous Area Enclosure […]

An Ex d enclosure is designed to contain an explosion and stop any flames, sparks, and hot gases from escaping into the surrounding atmosphere should an internal explosion occur. In addition, an Ex d enclosure protects the fitted equipment against external moisture, dirt, dust, or water. The enclosure may house equipment such as, contactors, relays, power supplies, transformers, radio devices and other electrical equipment with potentially hot surfaces. Sometimes referred to as ‘flameproof’ or “explosion-proof”, an Ex d enclosure includes what is known as a flame path. The flame path design can vary depending on the construction of the Ex d enclosure system. Flame Path Flame paths are gaps within the enclosure that, if an internal explosion occurs, ensure that by the time the flame has reached the end of the flame path it has […]

Extronics’ trusted partner, MMX Communications needed a custom wireless network solution for a major petrochemical company. The client required a secondary communications link to an existing offshore platform. The secondary link would support a sub-sea cable and use microwave Line of Sight equipment. The electrical equipment also needed to be installed and work in an area on the platform that may have an explosive atmosphere present. Customer Requirements MMX Communications client needed to deploy a NEC iPasolink Digital Radio System and two outdoor units for the radios into a Zone 1 hazardous area of the site. The iPasolink hardware is too big for a lot of standard wireless access point systems available; MMX needed to find a manufacturer who could design a custom solution that still met all the required standards for operations in the […]

The standards surrounding the installation of a wireless access point in hazardous areas are often misinterpreted. It is not uncommon to think you can purchase a NEMA 4X or Ex e enclosure and simply install any wireless access point into your hazardous area. This is not true and overlooks a key clause of the standard assigned to deploying electrical equipment in hazardous areas. This article explains key aspects of the standard to consider when deploying wireless devices into hazardous areas. It also addresses why you cannot just use a NEMA 4X or Ex e enclosure to install none certified wireless access points in hazardous areas. Zone 2/Division 2 Hazardous Area Standards for Deploying Wireless Access Points There are many devices on the market, including WiFi Access Points, UHF RFID Readers, LoRa or BLE Gateways and […]