Why explosion proof lighting is imperative to hazardous locations? The best light fitting should be able to avoid internal and survive an external explosion. In the LPG processing plant, paint booth, gas platform, chemical plant or laboratory, there are full of combustible gas, pulverized dust and volatile organic chemicals. Sparkle generated from the luminaires may ignite the explosive vapors and cause fatal consequences. That’s why intrinsically safe lighting is essential in such the industrial explosive environment. Besides, our lights are also external explosion proof because of the reinforced glass and aluminum lamp body. It provides bright lighting for evacuation and other emergency, which minimizes workers’ casualties.
In the bank vault, government office and other places that are vulnerable to robbery, we will need a sturdy lighting design. Apart from external explosion, the lamps should also be bullet proof. Our LED lights can resist the destruction from handgun, sniper and grenade, as well as strong heat from an explosion. Hence, we can identify the robbers and minimize property losses.
We offer versatile class 1/2 division 1/2 lighting for various locations that are susceptible to explosion.
What is Explosion Proof High Bay Light Fixture?
High bay is one of the common types of indoor lighting fixture. They are designed for high ceiling up to 6 to 20 meters. In the warehouse or storage unit containing flammable goods or ignitable fibers, explosion proof lighting is required. The LED inside explosion proof high bay has higher luminous efficacy, so the lights have a lower power input. Also, due to the unique LED packaging, they do not produce spark when we turn on or using the lights. It makes our LED product intrinsically safe.
In the past, using halogen or metal halide lights in such the hazardous locations is extremely dangerous because the instant high temperature (2000 to 3000°C) will produce at the filament when switching on the high power bulbs. The spark will ignite the combustible particles or gas in the explosive atmosphere. Nevertheless, LED solves this issue by using a totally different working mechanism – using the current to pass through the semiconductor to generate visible lights, instead of heat. The junction temperature of the lighting fixture can be reduced dramatically and thus it is safer in explosive environment. The heat accumulation of high bay lights also damages the chips, so we have a patented heat sink design that channelize the heat away that keep the lamp cool.
Depending on the mounting height and size of the indoor explosive environment, our engineers will design the best lighting solution for your project. We have LED lighting from 50, 100, 200, 400 watt, and even up to 1,000 to 10,000 watts!
Class & Division of Explosion Proof Lighting Requirement
According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there are several classifications for hazardous locations. Customized lighting should be applied in different explosive environment.
1. Class 1 vs Class 2 Explosion Proof Lighting
Class 1 & 2 are the most common classification of dangerous areas. The Class 1 describes the locations that there is combustible gaseous mixture in the air. The concentration is enough to trigger an explosion if there is ignition. On the contrary, class 2 areas mean there is flammable, dust or powder. So, we can see the major difference between class 1 and 2 location is that the state of flammable substance. Class 1 is gas or volatile mixture, while class 2 is pulverized particles. Therefore, we can see blowup is more likely to occur in class 1 than class 2 as the gaseous substance can be spread in the air easily. The explosion proof requirement of lighting would be more rigorous for class 1 location.
The examples of class 1 locations include LPG processing plant, gasoline plant, pipeline station, refinery facilities, paint booth, etc.
The example of class 2 environment includes coal mine, firework factory, food processing plant (flour, sugar, starch storage), etc.
2. What is Class 1 Division 1?
Class 1 Div 1 location describes an area that the combustible gaseous vapor might appear if the machine work under normal or abnormal conditions.
3. What is Class 1 Division 2?
Class 1 Div 2 means the inflammable gas or vapor will be stayed inside a close system, but those explosive substance may leak outside the contained if there is failure of the closed system.
4. Class 1 Div 1 vs Div 2 Lighting
You may ask what is the difference between class 1 div 1 and div 2 location lighting? From the above definition, we need to expect that the explosive substance exists in the class 1 div 1 area all the time. The chance of explosion is relatively high. While for class 2 div 2, the flammable mixture might be confined to a close system; however, leakage might also occur if there is malfunction of the close system. Although the lighting in both div 1 and div 2 locations should be intrinsically safe, the div 1 lighting should have higher explosion proof standard.
5. What is Class 2 Division 1 Environment?
Unlike class 1, class 2 div 1 describes the air contains inflammable dust or powder in normal or abnormal working environment.
6. What is Class 2 Division 2?
The div 2 location is relatively “safer”, which it is not expected to find the inflammable dust in the air, unless there is malfunction of the equipment. However, we should also prepare for the lighting that is explosion proof in these areas, because the combustible dust exists in the work place.
7. Class 2 Div 1 vs Div 2 Lighting
Which is the most dangerous among class 1/2 & div 1/2? To compare these 4 classifications, the ease of explosion follows this order: Class 1 Division 1 > Class 1 Division 2 > Class 2 Division 1 > Class 2 Division 2.
Explore our Explosion Proof Lighting Products
Why our LED Lights are Explosion Proof
1. Toughened & Bullet-proof Glass on LED Light Housing
To achieve bullet proof, we need to prevent the projectiles from penetrating the glass.
a. What makes toughened glass bullet proof?
The bullet proof glass is composed of two materials – glass and elastic polycarbonate. They are laminated to form the alternating layers. The protection increases with the thickness of the laminated glass.
If a bullet is shot at the toughened glass, the elastic polycarbonate layer allows the glass bends and absorbs the energy. The bullet slows down and stops before penetrating the glass thoroughly.
b. Application of bullet proof glass in lighting
The explosion proof LED light is protected by bullet proof glass & aluminum housing. In case there is external explosion or bullet shot, the fast-moving debris & ammo would not damage the luminaires. Thus, the lights survive in the emergency condition.
Although thick toughened glass gives greater protection on the luminaires, it affects the light output. Some of the lights would be reflected or refracted away if there are too many laminated layers. Therefore, we select the best toughened glass that fits your application. We would apply thicker bullet proof glass for harsher environment.
2. Heat Resistant LED Lights
Heat proof is another essential feature of lighting for hazardous location. The ambient temperature is around 40°C to 80°C in foundry or nuclear station. The luminaires should be able to resist such the high temperature in order to function normally. Our LED explosion & heat proof flood light withstand high ambient temperature up to 100°C. It is because we adopt the latest solid-state packaging technology as well as the patented heat dissipation design.
3. Intrinsically Safe Luminaires
In the div 1 locations, the room might be full of combustible gas, vapor and dust. We need to ensure that the luminaires do not produce any sparking. Otherwise, it will ignite the substance and cause fire & even explosion. Thanks to the 170 lm/W LED chip, we can maintain the power input in a very low level. Plus, LED lights does not generate much heat inside the lamp body. So, our LED lights are intrinsically safe.
4. Copper-free Aluminum Lamp Housing
Our explosion proof luminaires are made of copper-free aluminum alloy – the alloy contains less than 0.35% copper, which is proven to have greater strength and durability.
5. Patented Structural Design
Our LED lights adopts the patented aerodynamic design that effectively reduces the junction temperature of the lighting chips. Lower operating temperature means safer.
6. Complied with UL & OSHA Standard
Our LED lights are complied with the UL standard – when turning on the lights, it will not ignite the gas, dust or other flammable substance.
Top 12 Best Explosion Proof & Hazardous Location Lighting
1. Paint Booth Lighting
Paint booth is of the common applications of explosion proof lights. Lighting is essential for paint spraying because it allows us to observe the true color and distribution of paint. We will need to inspect the finishing carefully to avoid any defects. In addition, the coating consists of highly flammable chemicals such as propane, methane and other organic solvents. Since they are volatile, they can spread through the air. Small sparkling can cause an explosion that leads to tragic consequence. Hence, the intrinsically safe paint booth luminaires are required.
2. Nuclear Station Lighting
Explosion proof lighting is widely adopted in nuclear power station because of the following reasons.
a. Safety
To be straight-forward, explosion proof lighting in nuclear station offers more safety as they are meant to avoid/prevent explosions from occurring. Just like for any industries, damages and explosions are considered to be the most severe threat to all nuclear power stations.
Needless to mention, nuclear power stations are more prone to accidental explosions as the environment is always filled with harmful gases and dangerous substances. That’s why an advanced level of safety guidelines should be always maintained in nuclear power plants to nullify the probable chances of unwanted accidents and critical human consequences. Now, it comes to maintaining appropriate safety standards for nuclear power plants, it’s always advisable to use lighting that resists explosion and reduce the likelihood of blasts.
b. Robust and Ensures Better Longevity
While the key advantage of explosion proof lighting fixture is safety; nevertheless, such lighting solutions have various other advantages that you should be aware of. For instance, they are robust and rigid. Technically, they are designed in such a way that they can easily withstand the harsh environment of nuclear power plants and offer better longevity. What’s more, they are dustproof, waterproof, corrosion-resistant, and wear-resistant. Plus, they ensure a stable performance throughout their service life.
c. Exquisite Design, Easy-to-Operate, and Small Size
These explosion proof and accident proof lighting features an exquisite and compact design. They are easy to operate, lightweight, and smaller in size. Most of them come with great heat dissipation performance. Furthermore, they create a uniform illumination so that the workers inside a nuclear power plant never face fatigue and eye discomfort.
Considering the above-mentioned advantages, explosion proof luminaires are deemed to be vital for nuclear power station usage.
3. Foundry Explosion Proof Lighting
There is no doubt that fire-explosions and lighting systems that generate heat have a close relation. This is all the truer and applicable for foundries because of the hazardous environments that they operate in.
The safety and security of employees is of paramount importance and there cannot be any compromise on the same.
LED that offer the best of explosion proof lighting systems are no longer a luxury but a big necessity to say the least. We have to take into consideration the overall size of the foundry, the ventilation and other facilities and then decide as to the right kind of LED driven lighting systems.
The initial costs might be a concern, but the benefits that it offers by way of safety of the entire unit and recurring cost-savings that come along the way are points that must always be kept in mind.
4. Refinery LED Lighting
We are all aware of the fact that lots of hazards are associated with the refinery plants out there. There is always a risk of fire or explosion inside a refinery plant given that it deals with many toxic as well as inflammable ingredients like petroleum solvents, lubricants, fuels, greases, as well as petroleum waxes. One more hazard at any crude oil refinery happens to be the risk of exposure to toxic chemical substances which might lead to corrosiveness, asphyxiation, and burns.
One requires work permits to operate in such areas and it is imperative to maintain safety at all times. Below, we’ll talk about why explosion proof lighting can play a significant role in a refinery plant at present.
a. Protection for the employees
The presence of explosion proof lighting in these dangerous areas will minimize the risk of explosion that can happen because of the reasons mentioned above. This type of lighting will ensure the security and safety of all the employees in that plant. The workers will be safeguarded from any kind of calamity within confined space in case they make use of lightning fixtures which will be able to avoid any catastrophic rupture due to any flammable stuff. However, the benefits provided by these explosion proof light fittings go past the safety of the workers as well.
b. Durable
One more reason why individual go for light fitting that survive an explosion is the fact that they are extremely resilient in nature. You’ll come across several lighting fixtures that will start malfunctioning once they become either bumped or jostled and might require to be replaced at regular intervals. However, they are extremely durable as well as strong which implies that they will be able to endure such interactions which are quite common in a refinery plant.
c. Energy efficient
Thirdly, another significant benefit of using explosion proof lightings in refinery plants is that they happen to be much more energy efficient. In fact, an EPL will consume 85% less energy as compared to a regular fixture. In this way, it is possible to reduce the running cost of lighting.
5. Industrial Chemical Plants Lamps
A chemical plant is going to present lots of hazards for the employees who are working there. However, it is possible to minimize their risks to a great extent by taking the proper measures. One such measure will be to use sophisticated and innovative EPL LED lighting systems. These lights will have a positive effect on the performance of the workers and their lifespan is much more as compared to the conventional incandescent lighting out there. The LED EPL depends on a robust design for preventing sparks and ignitions proactively. Here, the term “explosion proof” actually refers to the ability of the unit to isolate sparks within the light itself where it is not possible for it to react with any flammable substance. Most of these lighting systems are encased within thick glass covers and an explosion proof box might likewise be used for housing the sensor, the switch, and the wiring. It is essential that these products don’t allow any gas to get into the aluminum case.
After going through all these benefits of explosion proof lighting, it is evident that this trend is going to continue in the future which will help to minimize the possibility of hazards within the chemical plants to a significant extent.
6. Bank Vault Lighting
The explosion proof lights are one of the most secure lights available on this planet. The question which remains is, does a bank vault require the same? Undoubtedly, bank vaults require explosion proof lamps. It adds to the security and also ensures that there is proper illumination round-the-clock. With its numerous advantages, they should become an integral part of every bank’s security system. In this article, we delve into the importance of explosion proof lights and also help you understand why they are the perfect fit for bank vaults.
7. Office of Important Government Personnel
Lighting that is able to work in an explosion is also important for government office such as White House. In case of the riots, the gangsters might throw stones and even shoot at the government office. Therefore, lighting has become the last line of defense in these areas.
8. Laboratory Lights (Indoor & Outdoor)
The hazardous and complex nature of laboratories poses a variety of risks for scientists and workers, including explosion and fire. While there are many options available out there to enhance safety, laboratory explosion proof lights are undoubtedly one of the best preventive measures that you can choose. With advanced LED technology, they are a sturdy, reliable yet cost-effective solution to prevent the ignition of dust particles and flammable gases.
In addition, the visibility and mobility limitations of confined laboratories have made explosion proof lighting essential during chemical processing activities. Not only does their adoption increase the overall lighting capability, but it also enhances safety features, thus allowing scientists to work securely and effectively.
9. Pipeline Station Lighting
Explosion proof lighting made working in hazardous places like pipeline station easier and safer. Gone are the days when pipeliners had to work under high risk and maintain a high level of caution. Not only today the workers are safe, they can also concentrate better and ultimately increase productivity.
You will agree that safety and security make the work culture better. Therefore, getting this special type of lighting for hazardous workplaces like the pipeline station is not only just important but also a must!
10. Mining Site
EPL LED lighting systems are usually more durable as well as risk-free for confined hazardous situations such as the mining sites. They will not get bumped or jostled easily and there is no need to replace them from time to time either. These lights are extremely strong and resilient which implies that they will be able to withstand any interaction in case these are bumped by workers or any fragile component falls on them. They are also more energy efficient as compared to a regular incandescent or halogen bulb out there. Moreover, their lifespan is almost 80,000 hours and on some occasions. Last but not least, their better efficiency, as well as durability, will minimize the maintenance cost to a great extent.
11. Liquefied Petroleum Gas Processing Facilities
Liquefied Petroleum Gas is a highly combustible gas. If the lighting in the LPG processing plant has sparkle, it would be extremely dangerous to the workers and facilities. Intrinsically safe LED lamps are necessary in such the fire hazard environment. Comparing to the conventional halogen bulbs and metal halide lights, LED consumes less power to produce the same brightness. This is the main reason why LED lamps are very unlikely to explode. In addition to higher energy efficiency, the junction temperature of LED chip is generally lower than that of HID lights. They have a lower temperature and thus safer.
12. Offshore Oil & Gas Platform Lights
The oil and gas industry have over the years relied completely on conventional forms of lighting, such as fluorescent lights. Not only do these lights under suffer from the disadvantage of sky-high replacement costs, but they are also not explosion proof, which puts the life of workers toiling at offshore oil and gas platforms at risk. Of late, the explosion proof lighting technology has been resonating soundly with oil and gas operators. More specifically, the downward trend being witnessed in oil and gas prices is compelling operators and buyers to cut down on overall costs by switching to financially viable options. In such a scenario, these lights have emerged as the ideal choice for operating companies.
Pros & Cons of Using Explosion Proof Light Fixture
There are many hazardous areas where the use of conventional lighting systems may not be considered safe and are therefore not generally recommended. These areas are categorized as high-risk places because there always is a risk of explosions. These may be caused because of various reasons. It could be because of explosive substances such as mists or dusts or there could be flammable gases that could get ignited even with the slightest provocation. While such hazardous surroundings and areas are not there in domestic surroundings, they can be found in many industrial and manufacturing locations. The list is quite big and could range from drilling platforms, refineries, power-generation facilities, chemical factories and storage units and much more.
1. How to Secure the Safety of Hazardous Locations
There are clearly stipulated norms and protocols that are in place and the same must be followed diligently without any deviation. There are special fire drills that keep happening every now and there are other safety measures in place to prevent sudden, unexpected and potentially lethal fire breakouts. We also need to bear in mind that the kind of lighting arrangements that are in place also has a big role to play. Hence there is a strong recommendation and even obligation on the part of the authorities to put in place the right explosion proof light and other systems.
These lighting systems have special features and are known for their ability to prevent over-heating of the surroundings because many lighting systems and appliances are notorious for generating heat. Such heat could have catastrophic effects on the entire areas where hazardous chemicals are situated or where manufacturing, storage, and even refining activities take place. Hence, there is a need to identify various other options and the focus is now to look at other low heat generating lighting arrangements. We will be looking at the various advantages and reasons for installing such low-heat generating lighting systems.
We are sure that the information given below will help readers and even other stakeholders to understand the various benefits of lighting systems that are specifically designed keeping in mind the risks associated with these high-risk areas. There are also some downsides as far as these lighting systems are concerned and the same will also be talked about in some detail.
2. Advantages of Installing Explosion Proof Lighting
They generate lesser heat. Most of these explosion proof light solutions belong to LED technology. It is quite obvious that LED lighting systems have some obvious advantages and benefits.
a. Lesser Heat Generation
To begin with, they are known for their ability to generate much lesser heat when compared to conventional lighting systems such as florescent lights and conventional light bulbs or incandescent lights. These yellow lights or halogen lights in particular are known for their heat generating capacity. Therefore, they are not used at in such high risk and hazardous places. Compared to this LED lights are known for their soothing impact and they do not lead to heating of the surroundings and the environment. They emit quality light and illumination. Quite often striking the right balance between the need for reducing heat generated from these lighting systems and meeting the illumination needs becomes a big problem. However, when you choose explosion proof lighting in general and LED lighting in particular, you might be able to strike the right balance quite easily.
b. No Filaments
These lighting systems have a better capacity to withstand vibration when compared to other forms of lighting. They do not have any glass parts or filaments. This reduces the risk of the glass exploding because of increased heat and the risk of the filament slipping out of the socket is also reduced quite a bit. This certainly goes a long way in enabling these lighting systems to have a higher threshold of withstanding rough treatment when compared to standard lights. This is a very important and vital feature especially in confined spaces that are tight, poor in ventilation and also secluded. Hence the sturdy exteriors, their ability to withstand rough handling and other such features make LED lights the obvious choice when it comes to hazardous areas.
c. LED Never Explodes
They have proven heat saving attributes and characteristics. These lighting systems emit around 3.4 BTUs per hour. They are also not sensitive to external temperature and humidity. Hence, when the external temperature rises beyond the accepted safety levels, LED lights will never explode and be the reason for fire and other related hazards. Carbon-di-oxide emission is also a major risk with many conventional lighting systems. We all know that such this gas is flammable and if the external temperature is high, it could have catastrophic eventualities.
d. No Mercury & Lead inside LED
LED lighting systems in general and those that have been designed for lighting in hazardous places also have one more advantage. They are full free from harmful metals such as mercury and lead. While mercury on its own may not be flammable, when it comes in contact with water vapor mist, there is a chance that it could be highly dangerous combustible substance. Hence, most hazardous places such as LPG bottling plants, crude oil refineries and other such places are often advised to stay away from mercury lamps. When there is a fire, lead could give out toxic substances that could create quite a bit of problems.
3. Cons
However, it would be wrong to mention that LED lighting systems are without any flaw or shortcoming. There are a few cons as far as LED lights are concerned and here are a few of them:
Price is one of the main drawbacks of LED lighting systems in general and explosion proof lighting arrangements in particular. Hence, there is a need to strike the right balance between costs versus benefits. High external temperature has in a few cases led to the failure of the LED lighting systems.
When we look at the risks associated with lighting systems for combustible locations and other hazardous places, it is quite obvious that choosing the right explosion proof light is of paramount importance. Though there could be cost factors involved in such lighting system, this in most cases is an initial investment. These LED lighting systems save quite a bit of money by way of reduced electricity bills. Most importantly, hazardous surroundings and other such areas become a much safer place as far as fire breakouts and other such hazards are concerned. Therefore, when a final judgment is passed, these lighting systems are considered to be a much better choice when compared to conventional lighting arrangements.