A Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) study is essential for minimizing the risk of ignition from flammable and combustible materials such as gases, vapors, and combustible dusts. Through world-class experts with more than 40 years of combined experience and our patented HACTool© program, BakerRisk goes beyond compliance with industry standards.
Methodology
BakerRisk’s methodology to HAC is more than the typical “check box” study performed to meet regulatory requirements. HACTool© output provides an evergreen product that continues to generate value and cost savings in capital expenditures over the life of a facility.
Value
Industries such as refining, chemicals, hydrogen production, biofuels and related fields depend on accurate HAC documentation to determine areas in their facilities where hazardous materials may be present and only approved electrical equipment can be used or installed.
While HAC drawings are often created as part of the facility design package, many of the details are not well-documented. To save money on analysis, plant designers often choose to use conservative assumptions, such as drawing the boundaries at the battery limits of the unit and not considering the height component of classified areas.
This conservative approach often requires higher-rated equipment than what would otherwise be prescribed by the appropriate standards and results in increased capital expenditures during construction, as well as continuous additional operational expenditures over the life of the facility.
Our experts go above and beyond to ensure our clients have the best safety measures in place. We efficiently develop HAC boundary characteristics and extents in accordance with guidance from NFPA 496/497/499, API 500/505, and IEC 60079-10-1, and identify gaps in equipment suitability for classified areas to provide clients with the best possible safety measures.
We also consider related documents like NFPA 2 for Hydrogen, NFPA 855 for batteries, and NFPA 820 for wastewater treatment plants to determine the appropriate HAC standards to apply. We specialize in evaluating the same system through the application of various standards and provide guidance on the extent of distances to consider using the relevant local and national requirements.
HACTool© is our proprietary hazardous area classification software developed to automate HAC studies, apply relevant methodologies utilizing an innovative layered approach to structured data, HACTool© seamlessly links process streams to equipment, delivering numerous client advantages:
Through its expertly designed features, HACTool© can typically help you lower expenditures on classified equipment. To learn more, watch our HACTool© webinar here!
Additional Information
David Wechsler
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Our HAC Specialists
Related Resources
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BakerRisk performs Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) studies to help our clients design, operate, and maintain their facilities in accordance with current standards in the industry.
View BakerRisk's Hazardous Area Classification (HAC, aka Electrical Area Classification) newsletter - now available.
The objective of a HAC analysis is to minimize uncontrolled ignition by electrical equipment or hot surfaces of flammables in air that could lead to fires or explosions resulting in equipment and property damage as well as potential loss of life.
Hazardous area classification (HAC, formerly electrical area classification) impacts the design and operation of petroleum, chemical processes, and other industrial operations that utilize flammable materials in potentially ignitable atmospheric concentrations in air by requiring ignition source controls.
Our team is pleased to exhibit at this conference that provides such a valuable opportunity to advance process safety practices on a global scale.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) developed API 500, Recommended Practice for Classification of Locations for Electrical Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as Class I, Division 1 and Division 2, to provide guidance for hazardous classified locations at petroleum facilities for the selection and installation of electrical equipment in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70, National Electrical Code, Article 500. The Scope of API 500 states, “This document applies to the classification of locations for both temporarily and permanently installed electrical equipment. It is intended to be applied where there may be a risk of ignition due to the presence of flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, or combustible liquid-produced vapors, mixed with air, under normal atmospheric conditions (identified throughout this document as “gases and vapors”).”
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