Overview of North American Hazardous Locations system
The North American system for the manufacture, certification, installation, use and inspection of hazardous locations equipment is clearly a complex topic -- especially for those outside of this system looking in. In an attempt to better understand this system, it might be easiest to consider the overall North American system as a hierarchy.
This hierarchy would begin, as shown below, with the applicable installation Codes that provide a framework for the overall HazLoc system (e.g., National Electrical Code for the United States and the Canadian Electrical Code for Canada), and ultimately end with the authorized use of suitable HazLoc equipment in an end-application.
- Role of the codes
- Role of standards developing organizations
- Role of manufacturers
- Role of third-party certifiers
- Role of users
- Role of inspection authorities
