Hazardous Area Abbreviations, Acronyms and Definitions
| Abbreviation | Definition |
| ABS | American Bureau of Shipping. ABS is a ship classification society involved with establishing and administering of standards and rules for marine vessels and structures. |
| AEx | A marking prefix for apparatus complying with one or more types of explosion protection techniques for installation in accordance with Article 505 of the NEC. |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute. |
| API | American Petroleum Institute. |
| ATEX | EU Directive 94/9/EC Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. |
| Baseefa | British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres. Provide a range of testing and certification services primarily related to equipment and systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres |
| CEC | Canadian Electrical Code. Part 1, CSA Standard C22.1-09, is a safety standard for the installation and maintenance of electrical equipment. |
| CEN | European Committee for Standardisation. |
| CENELEC | The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization was created in 1973. CENELEC is a non-profit technical organization consisting of over 30 European countries, with an additional 10 neighbouring countries participating in CENELEC work with an Affiliate status. |
| CEPEL | Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Electrica (Brazil). In Brazil, all electrical or electronic equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres should be certified by a Brazilian certification body recognised by INMETRO. CEPEL is an accredited body that is able to issue relevant certification. |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations. |
| Cold Flow | Certain types of cable employ materials that can exhibit “cold flow” characteristics that could have adverse effects on the protection of the apparatus. Where such cable is used, a suitable cable entry device should be employed, for example cable entry devices not employing compression seals that act upon the part(s) of the cable having “cold flow” characteristics. “Cold flow” can be more fully described as thermoplastic materials that flow when subjected to pressure at ambient temperature. |
| CSA | Canadian Standards Association. A service offered that includes testing and certification services to US and Canadian Standards, as well as international certification through agreements with other approval authorities. |
| DNV | Det Norske Veritas. |
| EPL | Explosion Protection Level. |
| Ex | A marking prefix for apparatus complying with one or more types of explosion protection techniques in accordance with IEC standards. |
| Explosionproof | A term used to describe equipment that is capable of withstanding an explosion of a specified gas or vapour that may occur within it and preventing the ignition of a specified gas or vapour surrounding it. |
| Flameproof | A type of protection of electrical apparatus in which the enclosure will withstand an internal explosion of a flammable mixture which has penetrated into the interior, without suffering damage and without causing ignition, through any joints or structural openings in the enclosure, of an external explosive atmosphere consisting of one or more of gases or vapours for which it is designed. |
| FM Global | Factory Mutual Research Corporation (USA). Services they offer include the testing and approval of electrical equipment in accordance with US and international Standards. |
| Hazardous Areas | Locations where fire or explosion hazards may exist due to the presence of flammable gases, vapours, mists, ignitable fibres or dusts. |
| IADC | International Association of Drilling Contractors. |
| IEC | International Electrotechnical Commission. Founded in 1906, the IEC is the world organisation that prepares international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. The membership consists of more than 70 participating countries. |
| IECEx | The aim of the IECEx Scheme is to facilitate international trade in electrical equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres by eliminating the need for multiple national certificates. |
| Increased Safety | A type of protection applied to electrical apparatus that does not produce arcs or sparks in normal service and under specified abnormal conditions, in which additional measures are applied so as to give increased security against the possibility of excessive temperatures and of the occurrence of arcs and sparks. |
| INMETRO | Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial (Brazil). |
| Intrinsically Safe System | An assembly of interconnected items of apparatus which may comprise of intrinsically safe apparatus, associated apparatus and other apparatus, and interconnecting cables in which the circuits within those parts of the system that may be exposed to explosive gas atmospheres are intrinsically safe circuits. |
| Impervious Sheathed Cable | Cable constructed with an impervious metallic or non-metallic overall covering that prevents the entrance of gases, moisture or vapours into the insulated conductor or cable. |
| IP | A system of rating standard levels of Ingress Protection provided by the apparatus. |
| ISA | The International Society for Measurement and Control, a global, non-profit organization. |
| ISO | International Organisations for Standardisation. A worldwide federation of national standard bodies from 162 countries. ISO’s mission is to promote the development of standardisation to facilitate international exchange of goods service. |
| ITS | Intertek Testing Services. |
| Marine Shipboard Cable | Impervious sheathed armoured or non-armoured cable constructed in accordance with UL 1209 / CSA C22.2 No. 245, except that an overall impervious sheath is required over the armoured construction, and listed as “Shipboard Cable, Marine” by a Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory (NRTL). |
| Maximum Surface Temperature | The highest temperature of a surface accessible to a flammable mixture under conditions of operation and within the ratings of the equipment. |
| MC Cable | Metal-clad cable as defined by NEC Article 501. |
| MC-HL Cable | Metal-clad cable for hazardous locations as defined in UL 2225. |
| NEC | National Electric Code ® (ANSI/NFPA 70). |
| NEMA | National Electrical Manufacturers Association. |
| NFPA | National Fire Protection Association. |
| NRTL | National Recognised Test Laboratories (US). Those recognised by the OSHA include CSA, FMRC and UL. The NRTL determines that the specific products meet the relevant standards of safety as required by the OSHA and that the products are safe for use in the U. S. workplace. For further information, refer to the OSHA website www.osha.gov |
| OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Works with the U. S. Department of Labour National Recognised Test Laboratories (NRTL’s) to ensure products safe for use in the U.S. |
| PLTC | Power-limited tray cable as defined by NEC article 725. |
| Potentially Explosive Atmosphere | A mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of a gas, vapour, mist or dust in which after ignition, combustion spreads through the unconsumed mixture. |
| Restricted Breathing (ExnR) | Enclosure that is designed to restrict the entry of gases, vapours, dusts and mists. |
| SCS | SIRA Certification Service (UK). They provide a range of testing and certification services and have agreements with other international approval authorities. |
| TC | Power and control cable as defined by NEC Article 336. |
| UL | Underwriters Laboratories Inc ® (USA). |
| ULc | Underwriters Laboratories Inc – Canada. |
| USCG | United States Coast Guard. |
