Total Lighting Solutions for Industrial, Commerical and Mining Applications!
Industrial, mining and hazardous lighting manufacturers Nordland Lighting, based in Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa started out in 1967 as a luminaire importer but it soon became a local manufacturer instead. Today, the company produces and exports a large range of luminaires that includes hazardous and non-hazardous areas. Close co-operation with the SABS ensures compliance with relevant specifications and the company is a permit mark holder for its entire range of Ex lighting products. Products for non-hazardous applications comply with SANS/IEC 60598, as well as Accredited ISO 9001:2015.
- Bulkheads
- Floodlights
- Fluorescent
- MiniLite LED
- LED Luminaires
Aspects of Hazardous Lighting
Light fittings for use in Hazardous areas have certain characteristics. They have a seal or machined face to ensure resistance to liquid, dust or gas, or a quenching flame path. Light fittings have different grades of protection depending on their construction and intended purpose. Some fittings are classified according to their IP (Ingress Protection) rating as it is designated.
What constitutes a hazardous area: In some contexts, it could be a badly lit step, however, we consider it an area in which a flammable material, gas or vapour must be mixed in the correct proportion with air and within this mixture, a spark or heat is present, sufficient to ignite the mixture. When light fittings and other electrical apparatus are to be installed in a Hazardous Area it is essential that the decision-maker takes measures to reduce the likelihood of an explosion by the correct selection of equipment to be installed in that area. As the gases and vapours liable to be present are rated according to ignition temperature, flash point and lower explosive limit, this information must be on hand when making your light fitting selection.
Gases also have a gas group classification, namely Group I, Group IIA, Group IIB and Group IIC, where Methane falls in the category Group I, while Hydrogen is a Group IIC gas, together with Acetylene. The general classification of the area is then Zone 1 and 2 for gases and vapours and volatile liquids present in the air, Zone 21 for combustible dust, metallic and non-metallic and also fibres in suspension in the air, Zone 22 dust and easily combustible fibres, not normally in suspension in the air, but are present in sufficient quantities to produce a combustible mixture.
A common fault of the light-fitting purchaser is the non-specification of the gland type required for the installation which has to be compatible to the type of cable and the core diameters. There are different glands available for steel armoured cable and for sheathed cables. Also, cables should be of the flame retardant type if for exposed usage and if not sand covered. The more common type of light fittings available for the Zone 1 situation are those designated and enclosed in:
i) Flameproof or explosion proof Ex “d” housings.
ii) Increased Safety Ex “e”.
Although both are suitable for use in this type of atmosphere there is a world of difference in their construction format..