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Hazardous Locations for Other Than Electrical Equipment?

Hazardous Locations for Other Than Electrical Equipment?

Hazardous Locations for Other Than Electrical Equipment?

(OP)
In the USA, what are the regulatory standards to reference when applying hazardous location requirements to automotive vehicles, for example?

NFPA 505 is as close as I can find, but this applies only to special purpose industrial trucks and specifically not automotive vehicles.

Intuitively, one would think that any internal combustion engine driven piece of mobile equipment would fall under the same requirements for operation in hazardous locations.

What document would one cite for not allowing someone to drive a highway truck through a Class 1, Division 2, Group C location within an industrial facility?

RE: Hazardous Locations for Other Than Electrical Equipment?

The standard operating procedures of the plant. The plant may require a gas test before the vehicle enters a hazardous area. I have worked in areas where there was a five minute stop limit. If a vehicle was stopped for more than five minutes a fresh gas test was required before it could be restarted.
Many plants where there is a possibility of the release of combustible gas require all diesel engines to have an intake air flap fitted.
Consider engine parts that may operate at or above ignition temperatures.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

RE: Hazardous Locations for Other Than Electrical Equipment?

What Bill said.

Most facilities I've dealt with treated a vehicle as an item subject to their "hot work" permitting, just like it was a cutting torch or other equipment.

Operating units within a facility are commonly barricaded and placarded to indicate the restrictions to entry until permitting (which included assessment of the presence of flammables) is satisfied.

old field guy

RE: Hazardous Locations for Other Than Electrical Equipment?

People drive through Class I, Division 2 locations every day - routinely. See NEC[2008]Article 514, Figure 514.3.

I don't want to imply that classified locations are trivial, but I can tell you that the concerns can get overblown very quickly.

On the other hand, when electrical area classification is used for any purpose other than selection of electrical equipment and their installation, there is often great pressure to revise the valid documents so that the issues raised in the previous responses are avoided. Basically, if you want to use my electrical area classification document for any purpose other than electrical installations - go ahead, but don't ask me to change it because it's inconvienient. (And I've been correctly documenting classified locations over 40 years)  

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