Class A Electrical Equipment
Electrical equipment installed in such locations could provide an ignition source due to electrical arcing or high temperature.
Class a electrical equipment. Class i appliances are usually made of metal have three cables have a metal earth pin and have a fuse in the plug. Class ii equipment may also be manufactured with metal enclosures which are double insulated from live parts class ii equipment does not need an earth conductor and should not be earthed. A class c fire is an energized electrical fire. Energized in this case means that it is fed by a power source.
In many countries the plug of a class 0 equipment is such that it cannot be inserted to grounded outlet like schuko. Electrical equipment and devices within five feet of workstations in which flammable liquids or gases are used shall be in accordance with the electrical code for class i division 2 hazardous locations except when the air removal from the workstation or dilution will provide nonflammable atmospheres on a continuous basis ufc 5104 5. For mains powered electrical equipment there are usually two levels of protection used called basic and supplementary protection. The supplementary protection is intended to come into play in the event of failure of the basic protection.
Class i equipment has a protective earth. Sources of such hazards include gases vapors dust fibers and flyings which are combustible or flammable. In electrical and safety engineering hazardous locations hazloc pronounced haz lōk are places where fire or explosion hazards may exist. Any place where electrical equipment is used or electrical wiring is present is a potential.
However the only way to confirm whether the appliance is class i is to look for the class i symbol on the appliance. This publication introduced eight modifications and additions to the classes of prescribed electrical equipment categories. As nzs 4417 2 2018 was published on 2 july 2018. In addition to the equipment being suitable for the gas group and the temperature class required the type of protection must be suitable for the zone in.
These changes are as follows. There are ten recognized types of protection for hazardous area electrical apparatus. 4 1 class i equipment. Examples of class i appliances are refrigerators microwaves kettles irons and toasters.
These are now listed in appendix b of as nzs 4417 2 and take effect on 2 july 2018. Class c fires may begin from a short circuit faulty wiring power cord damage overcharged devices or overloaded electrical outlets. Each type of protection achieves its safety from ignition in different ways and not all are equally safe.