Jargon Buster
| TECHNICAL STANDARDS & GUIDELINES | |
| ANSI Z41 SD Type II | USA Standard for Industrial Safety Footwear incorporating Static Diissipative Properties. |
| API RP2003 | American Petroleum Institute: Protection Against Ignitions Arising out of Static, Lighting, and Stray Current. |
| ATEX 137 |
European Directive covering work places with Potentially Explosive Atmospheres. |
| ATEX 95 |
European Directive covering equipment used in potentially explosive atmospheres. |
| BS5958 |
British Standard Code of practice for control of undesirable static electricity. |
| CLC/TR 50404 | Cenelec Code of practice for the avoidance of hazards due to static electricity. |
| EN345 | European footwear Standard incorporating details of anti-static footwear. |
| NFPA 77 |
Recommended practice on Static Electricity, published by National Fire Protection Association. |
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ELECTROSTATIC TERMINOLOGY |
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| Anti-Static | Incapable of retaining a significant electrostatic charge. |
| Bonding | The process of connecting two or more conductive objects together by means of a conductor so that they are at the same electrical potential, but not necessarily at the same potential as the earth. |
| Bonding Reels | (or static discharge reels) Used for connecting conductive objects to an earthing or grounding point. |
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Capacitance |
The amount of charge stored on a specified body or material to raise the potential difference by 1 volt. |
| Conductive | The ability to allow the flow of an electric charge. |
| Conductor | A material or object that allows an electric charge to flow easily through it. |
| Dissipative Footwear |
Footwear that ensures a person standing on a conductive or dissipative floor has an acceptably low resistance to earth (ground). |
| Earthing |
The process of bonding one or more conductive objects to the ground, so that all objects are at zero (0) electrical potential. (also known as Grounding in the USA) |
| Earthing Systems | With ground verification indicators often interlocked with the product transfer system. |
| Electrostatic | Static electricity. |
| Grounding | American term used for "Earthing" as above. |
| Leakage resistance |
The resistance (expressed in Ohms) between an object and the earth (ground). |
| Non-conductive |
The ability to resist the flow of an electric charge. |
| Non-conductor |
A material or object that resists the flow of an electric charge through it. |
| Retractable Bonding Cables | Cables with an inherent capability to retract when not in use. |
| Retractable Grounding Assembly | Used for connecting conductive objects to an earthing or grounding point. |
| Self Testing Clamps | Intrinsically Safe Bonding Clamps with ability to monitor resistance between conductive object and earth (ground) and provide verification of acceptable condition. |
| Static Dissipative | Capable of dissipating a static electric charge at an acceptable rate. |
| Static Earth Monitoring | The process of monitoring the resistance to earth (ground). |
| Static Earthing Clamps | Special purpose clamps designed to enable temporary or semi-permanent connection onto movable conductive objects. |
| Static Earthing Reels | Special purpose retractable cable reels with conductive cross-bonded components, designed to dissipate static electricty at an acceptable rate. |
| Static Earthing Systems | Control systems using explosion protection and intrinsically safe techniques to monitor acceptable resistance to earth (ground) and provide verification and interlocks. |
| Static Electric Discharge | A release of static electricity that might be capable of causing ignition. |
| Static Electricity | Denoting or pertaining to an electric charge that is at rest.. |
| Static Ground Monitoring | Alternative term for Static Earth Monitoring - as above. |
| Static Grounding Clamps | Alternative term for Static Earthing Clamps - as above. |
| Static Grounding Reels | Alternative term for Static Earthing Reels - as above. |
| Static Grounding Systems | Alternative term for Static Earthing Systems - as above. |
| Static Protection | Protection against the build up of static electricity. |
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HAZARDOUS AREA TERMINOLOGY |
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| Combustible | Capable of burning. |
| Explosion Protected | Device enclosed in a housing that is capable of withstanding an explosion of a specified gas or vapor that may occur within it while preventing the propagation of flame to a surrounding flammable atmosphere. |
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FIBC / IBC |
Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container, or “Big Bag” used to transfer powders. The IBC is the rigid version, often made from stainless steel or plastic, in a variety of shapes and sizes. |
| FIBC (Type C) | Special conductive FIBC for use with flammable powders. |
| Hazardous Areas |
Potentially flammable/explosive atmosphere. |
| Industrial Explosions | Explosions in a work place environment. |
| Ingress Protection | Ability of an enclosure to prevent the ingress of undesirable liquids or dust/powders. |
| Intrinsically Safe | Electrical equipment and circuits incapable of generating energy sufficient to present a hazard in a flammable area. |
| Minimum Ignition Energy |
The minimum energy that can ignite a mixture of a specified flammable material with air or oxygen. Often abbreviated as MIE. |
| Temperature Class (Europe) |
The hazardous materials are classed by their auto-ignition temperature and the T rating is the maximum surface temperature that the certified equipment can reach (measured at 40ºC ambient). |
| Temperature Class (USA) | Note that Temperature Class sub-divisions are used in the USA. |
| AREA CLASSIFICATION | |
| Area Classification | A system to indicate the degree to which flammable/explosive atmospheres are present (i.e. continuously, intermittently, abnormally). |
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NEC 500 (USA): Division 1: |
Explosive atmosphere can exist all of the time or some of the time under normal operating conditions. |
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Division 2: |
Explosive atmospheres are not likely to exist under normal operating conditions. |
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Class I: |
Atmosphere with flammable gases, vapours or liquids. |
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Class II: |
Atmosphere with combustible dusts. |
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Class III: |
Atmosphere with ignitable fibers and flyings. |
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Cenelec/IEC (Europe): Zone 0: |
Gas/Vapour explosive atmospheres present continuously, for long periods or frequently. |
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Zone 20: |
Dust explosive atmospheres - as above. |
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Zone 1: |
Gas/Vapour explosive atmospheres are likely to occur in normal operation. |
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Zone 21: |
Dust explosive atmospheres - as above. |
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Zone 2: |
Gas/Vapour explosive atmospheres are unlikely to occur, or be present only infrequently or for a short period only. |
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Zone 22: |
Dust explosive atmsopheres - as above. |
| TRADE NAMES | |
| Bond-Rite™ | Instrinsically Safe Self-Testing Clamp (patented) |
| Cenelectrex® | Brand name of Newson Gale range of Static Control Equipment for Hazardous Areas. |
| Cen-Stat™ |
Hytrel® coated cables with anti-static properties. (Hytrel® is a registered Trade Mark of DuPont) |
| Earth-Rite™ | Range of Static Grouning (Earthing) interlock systems. |
| Retract-A-Clamp® | Retractable coiled static grounding (earthing) and bonding assemblies. (Trade Mark of Stewart R Browne) |
| Sole-Mate® | Test station for industrial static dissipative footwear. |

