Many Class 1 Division 2 Hazardous area work sites make use of dangerous and corrosive chemicals in their work processes. The important factor in the designation of a Class 1 Division 2-compatible safety shower is to ensure that all electrical components are rated for Class 1 Division 2 use. For example, many safety showers include the use of some type of water heater. Such heaters must provide protection from any kind of spark or flame. Class 1 Division 2 areas are those where there is occasional presence, or the risk of occasional presence, of explosive vapor or dust in the area caused by the normal operations carried out in the area. If explosive vapor or dust is, or can be present, it is critical to provide equipment, such as safety showers and eyewashes, that have been properly designed, built and installed for safe use in such areas.
Additional equipment that must be certified for Class 1 Division 2 use include Junction Boxes, Alarm systems (including any switches), Lights (both interior and exterior), water chillers, gauges, thermostats, temperature indicators, and any other electrical component that is part of the safety shower.
A good way to make sure that any safety shower that you purchase is truly safe to use in a Class 1 Division 2 area is to source a safety shower that is certified, as an assembly, by a major testing lab such as CSA or UL. Alpine Technical Services and Showers and Eyebaths Services offer an industry-leading CSA-Certified Safety Shower for Class 1 Division 2 Hazardous areas. This shower has been certified for explosive areas. It is available in configurations for almost all climates, including extreme cold and extreme heat. These showers are fully compliant with ANSI Z358.1 2009 standards for eyewashes and safety showers.
One note: Be careful with UL and CSA claims. Sometimes companies claim that their product(s) are UL-Listed or CSA-Certified when only a couple of components are actually certified. This means that some or most of the components are NOT certified. The S&E CSA-Certified Safety Shower has been certified AS AN ASSEMBLY, meaning that ALL critical components are certified individually and certified in their use and combination with all other critical components. Only with certification as an assembly can you be certain that your safety shower is really ready for a Class 1 Division 2 application.