Hazardous Location Fundamentals

Hazardous Locations and the National Electric Code

Hazardous Location Standards are laid out in the following guidelines:

• The NEC (National Electric Code) for the USA
• The CEC (Canadian Electric Code) for Canada

In both countries these guides are accepted and used by most authorities as the final standard on installation and use of electrical products.
These 2 guides with the issuance of the new NEC standard are almost identical.

In the United States of America the government agency responsible is Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA has authorized a group of NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories).
At this time the following laboratories are recognized.

• CSA (Canadian Standards Association)
• ETL Testing Laboratories Incorporated
• Factory Mutual Research Corporation
• MET Laboratories
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.)
• United States Testing Co. Inc.

In Canada the government agency responsible is the Standards Council of Canada.
Standards Council of Canada has authorized a group of testing laboratories to certify equipment.
At this time the following laboratories are authorized.

• CSA (Canadian Standards Association)
• ETL Testing Laboratories Incorporated
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.)
• C-UL (Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada)