24 Sep CONTROLLING THE DANGER ZONE

The term “Ex Zones” might sound strange to you, especially if you are not one who works in the oil & gas, chemicals or pharmaceutical industry; in these industries, these zones are encountered very frequently. Not to worry much, this blog post will equip you with the knowledge on this as well as on how to navigate through this as one who works in the aforementioned industries.

What Are Ex Zones aka Hazardous Areas?

These are locations that can accumulate flammable gas, vapor or dust in sufficient quantities to create an explosion, which can be through a spark, or an ignition of a volatile mix, causing a possible casualty.

Understanding the Zones

There are different classifications of these zones, which are determined by and varies through the level of danger or explosion risk. They are broken down into two major categories, The Gas Zones, and The Dust Zones; the former comprises of Zone 0, 1 and 2, while the latter comprises of Zone 20, 21 and 22; they are classified based on the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), which is the international standard used.

The risk potential of these zones is further classified by their numbers:

• Level 0 (High Risk Zones) – Zone 0 & Zone 20: These areas have a frequent or continuous and potential high combustion atmosphere during normal operations and in sufficient quantities, due to how long the gas or dust lingers in the air, which is said to be over 1000 hours/year. Examples of such areas are the air space inside a tank of petrol, the area around the vent, which id venting explosive gas.
• Level 2 (Mid Risk Zones) – Zone 1 & Zone 21: These areas have an occasionally high potential combustion atmosphere during normal operations and is said to linger in the air for about 10-1000 hours/year. Examples of such areas are outside of an unvented petrol tank, ventilated coal mines, etc.
• Level 3 (Low Risk Zones) – Zone 2 & Zone 22: These areas have infrequent potential combustion atmosphere, which linger for a short period of time.

Protecting Your Ex Zone: A Versatile Approach

Keeping safe in an ex-zone means minimizing the risk of combustion. This can be done using these strategies:

1. Identify Hazards and Take Risk Assessment: The first strategy demands that you identify hazards by learning about them (if you know nothing about it) and being attentive and observant (if you know the basics) and take a risk assessment that measures the potential hazard in the environment.
2. Equipment Selection: Use equipment that are certified for specific Ex zone classification; look for the “ex” symbol as a means of identification of such equipment, which comes with a code.
3. Proper Ventilation & Housekeeping: Good ventilations help to prevent the accumulation of flammable materials. Regular cleaning minimizes dust & debris that can cause explosion.
4. Work Permit: Each personnel must have a work permit that identifies one as authorized personnel with proper training, to work in a zone or area. 5. Emergency Plan: Have a clear-cut plan for emergency purposes, including evacuation procedures, fire drills and emergency shut-off protocols.

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