Hazardous Locations Certification for USA and Canada

North American Approval is mandatory for products intended to be sold in the USA and/or Canada. The rule stems from the National Electrical Code (NEC), which outlines the US requirements and the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC), which outlines the Canadian requirements.

North American Approval is mandatory for products intended to be sold in the USA and/or Canada. This requirement is governed by the National Electrical Code (NEC) for the USA and the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) for Canada.

Technical Requirements

Products used in explosive atmospheres in North America must comply with Hazardous Locations standards, as well as Ordinary Locations standards for electrical safety.

• Class/Division/Group System: Based on NEC Article 500 and CEC Rules J18-000 to J18-072:
• Classes define the hazardous material nature.
• Divisions define the probability of hazardous material presence.
• Groups define the type of hazardous material.
• Zone System: Based on NEC Article 505/506 and CEC Rules 18-000 to 10-074, following IEC international standards:
• Zones define the hazardous material nature (gas or dust) and its probability.
• Groups define the type of hazardous material.

Quarterly factory inspections are mandatory for products under Full Certification to ensure ongoing compliance with standards.

Field Certification: Accepted in Canada and the USA for custom-made or limited quantity products, where evaluation occurs at the installation site.

Relevant Schemes and Standards

• NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (NEC)
• Canadian Electrical Code (CEC)

Standards required depend on the type of marking needed (Divisions or Zones) for Canada and/or the USA. Ordinary Location standards (covering electrical safety) such as CAN/CSA 61010 for Canada and ANSI/UL or ANSI/ISA 61010 for the USA always apply.

Our Offering

We offer comprehensive evaluation, testing, and certification services for both Division and Zone North American Approval. Our partnerships with accredited Certification Bodies and Nationally Recognized Test Laboratories ensure compliance with SCC and OSHA requirements. DNV provides pre-evaluation services to assist clients with gap assessments and compliance understanding before embarking on approval projects.