Hazardous Location Lighting
Posted by STARS AND STRIPES LIGHTING
When it comes time to select lighting fixtures that are designed for harsh locations that typically present dust moisture, vapors, and combustible residues, there some important factors that need to be taken into consideration. A hazardous location is an area where flammable gases or vapors may be present in the air in sufficient quantities to be ignitable or explosive. Below are some key suggestions on choosing the best hazardous location lighting for your business.
Before you begin designing your lighting plan, you need to look at choosing lighting fixtures that are classified for use in your area. In North America, hazardous locations are separated into three "Classes" that are strictly based on the explosive characteristics of the materials. Then the Classes of material are further separated into "Divisions" or "Zones" based on the risk of explosion or fire that the material poses. The Division system has two levels of hazard, whereas the Zone system has three levels.
For hazardous locations, we recommend using LED fixtures. LED lighting is the perfect solution for hazardous location applications for a variety of reasons, one is that LED runs much cooler than equivalent incandescent and metal halide fixtures. Fixtures incorporated with LED technology provide widespread illumination while minimizing risk. Finally, LEDs last significantly longer than other options, with many having lifespans over 100,000-hours.
