Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993) Code of Practice National Code of Practice for Electrical Machinery in Hazardous Locations Regulatory requirements for explosion-protected apparatus Annexes Annex C (informative) : Marking of electrical apparatus for use in explosive atmospheres

 

Annex C

(informative)

 

Marking of electrical apparatus for use in explosive atmospheres

 

 

 

 

In this annex, information and examples are given of marking of explosion-protected equipment.

 

NOTE   As there are currently major developments in IEC explosion-protection standards and therefore by implication in South African National Standards, the reader is encouraged to use only the latest edition of this recommended practice together with SANS 10108.

 

 

Standards approved (or which have been approved in the past) for certification of explosion-protected apparatus used in South Africa can be Grouped according to their approach to the marking of explosion-protection ratings, as given in C.2.2 and C.2.3.

 

 

 

 

NOTE  The CENELEC standards require additional marking,refer to C.2.2.4.

 

The current, unified marking system specified by IEC requires that the equipment protection level (EPL) is added at the end of the above marking (see C.5 for examples).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is no longer the case,but marking information is included as an aid to technical staff dealing with operational equipment.

 

 

 

In the immediate vicinity of the certification mark, a statement appears that the specified equipment is for use in hazardous locations. The Groups of hazardous materials are given by the statement: "class I, Group A, B, C or D" (or a combination of these), and "class II, Group E, F or G" (or a combination of these). The gases and vapours appropriate to class I, Groups A, B, C and D and the dusts appropriate to class II, Groups E, F and G are given in NFPA 70.

 

A separate statement as to whether the equipment is intrinsically safe or explosion-proof (flameproof) might appear, but dust-ignition-proofing (dust-ignition-protection) is always indicated by a coded reference to the types of material for which the equipment has been certified.

 

 

Equipment is marked, in the immediate vicinity of the FM mark,indicating whether it is intrinsically safe or explosion-proof (flameproof) for class I, divisions 1 and 2 (zone 1 and zone 2) locations or non-incendive (non-sparking) for zone 2 locations only. The gases and vapours for which the electrical apparatus is suitable are given by the statement, "class I, Groups A, B, C or D" (or a combination of these),as for the UL and CSA.

 

 

Additional marking may include

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE 1   These examples do not include the marking normally required by the general standards for construction of electrical apparatus (for example, electrical parameters); however, said marking forms part of the compulsory marking of explosion-protected apparatus.

 

NOTE 2   Practical considerations might restrict or preclude the use of it al c characters or of subscripts and a simplified presentation may be used, for example Uo rather than Uo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most approved certification bodies use a certification mark that indicates unambiguously, or in conjunction with other symbols, that the apparatus is certified as explosion protected. The following certification marks are commonly found on apparatus used in South Africa:

 

 

The following marks do not indicate acceptable certification for new equipment, but may be used as the basis for issuing an IA certificate by an ATL for equipment in use:

 

 

NOTE The BASEEFA marks shown below were issued at various times during the existence of this organization. The organization has since been privatised. The current BASEEFA 2001 (Pty) Ltd is one of the EC Notified Bodies and uses the marking system referred to in C.6.2(f). Only second-hand apparatus will therefore carry this mark.

 

 

 

NOTE This mark organization has since been appointed as one of the EC Notified Bodies and uses the marking system referred to in C.6.2(f). Only second-hand apparatus will therefore carry this mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE  The (abbreviated) name of the Notified Body is displayed as part of the certification number.

 

 

 

 

 

In the case of electrical apparatus that is unmarked, or where the marking is incomplete or there is doubtful applicability to the particular hazard, it should not be used and it should either be submitted  for testing or certification (or both), or its use should be immediately discontinued.