Email Enquiry
Subject: Fixed Fire Truck Radio's - 'Ex' Compliance, is this necessary? What's Your Experience and What do You Do? Date of Initial Email : 01/07/2008 Initial Email Detail: Fixed Fire Truck Radio's - 'Ex' Compliance, is this necessary? What's Your Experience and What do You Do? Subject: Fire Trucks equipped with fixed mobile two-way radio in operating Ex Zoned Area's, With reference to the use of fire trucks in oil refineries and petroleum storage facilities. Specifically, the use of vehicles equipped with fixed mobile two-way radios (not portable radio equipment). Is it permissible for radio-equipped fire and emergency vehicles to enter Ex zoned areas? Also, is there a standard procedure available that describes the installation of two-way radios in fire and emergency vehicles that relates to their use in potentially explosive environments? We have part of a document that relates to the installation of mobile radios in road petrol tankers, but we don't know where it originated, or what standard it applies to. Can anybody help? Second Email: My view is "How far do you go with this one". ATEX/DESEAR cover mechanical as well as electrical compliance and there are a number of areas on an Appliance that would give me major concern (Hot running engine, pump, static etc.) before considering the hazards of operating a radio and presumably from inside the cab of the vehicle. So what would need to be done to do to develop an EX compliant Fire Truck? What would this cost??? I think, unless you have an unlimited budget, that where possible operate outside the defined EX area zone in the knowledge that flammable gases don't honour boundaries. Then risk assess the need to mitigate against the known risks. Again it is only my opinion but one we do operate to. Regards Third Email: All petrol and diesel vehicles are "sources of ignition " by virtue of their electrical systems and hot engines. Therefore any additional installed radios and "gismos" are only more of the same ignition risk So these radios can be ordinary radios and do not need to be Ex. As indicated, the portable hand held will need to be Ex 'is'.This is why roadways cannot be Zone 2 areas. unless you invest in Zone 1 or 2 protected vehicles, - can be done for fork lift trucks etc, but very rare for any other vehicle. Fire trucks should not enter a Zone 1 or 2 area. or gas release. [Dynamic risk assessment] However if the plant is on fire, then zoning disappears as any flammable vapour is by definition already burning! [Zoning is to prevent ignition ] Regards Fourth Email: Under the UN Agreements for transport of dangerous goods by road the tractor unit for carriage of dangerous substances in bulk (including highly flammable liquids) must comply with certain specific provisions depending on the load being carried.
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