It is essential that an accurate Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) study is conducted for sites that require DSEAR or ATEX Compliance. If this is not conducted correctly and accurately, your organisation either could have unsafe areas or be drained of finances.

For illustration, it is unquestionably dangerous either if an area is classified safe when it is actually hazardous or if the area has been under-classified in terms of less rigorous zone allocation and/or smaller HAC extents sizes than what could potentially occur.

In the opposite sense, areas could be over-classified, with more restrictive and rigorous zone allocation and larger HAC extent sizes than what could potentially occur. In this situation, organisations could undergo significant and sometimes unnecessary Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX) costs for either certified equipment they do not require or by purchasing over-conservative and over-rigorous certified equipment.

HACC conducts hazardous area classification for DSEAR and ATEX compliance in-line with the harmonised standards IEC 60079-10-1 (BS EN 60079-10-1) for gases, vapours and mists, and IEC 60079-10-2 (BS EN 60079-10-2) for dusts. HACC uses a number of different methods to define HAC extents including generic industry specific “Safety Guidelines and Recommendations” to sophisticated “Physical Based Discharge and Dispersion Simulation Models”.