Three critical, must win issues for class I locations

The trend for the petrochemical industry in the US is to still classify hazardous locations according to the Division system while Canadian users are moving rapidly to the Zone method of classification. What can be done to generate more interest in Zones in the US? One catalyst for incorporating the Zone method of classification into the North American electrical codes was to avoid the use of explosion proof seals. Despite the lack of confidence in the proper installation of seals, there is little that can be added to a quality control program to improve this situation. Efforts must, therefore, be intensified to develop a less expensive, more reliable method to install and pour scaling compound. Proper classification of unattended sites is still a challenge without more use of gas detectors and adequate ventilation.