Cable Glossary
Hazardous Area
| Abbreviation | Definition |
| ABS | American Bureau of Shipping. ABS is a ship classification society involved with establishing and administering of standards and rules for marine vessels and structures. |
| AEx | A marking prefix for apparatus complying with one or more types of explosion protection techniques for installation in accordance with Article 505 of the NEC. |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute. |
| API | American Petroleum Institute. |
| ATEX | EU Directive 94/9/EC Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. |
| Baseefa | British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres. They provide a range of testing and certification services primarily related to equipment and systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Baseefa is a constituent of EECS - a branch of the Health & Safety Executive, UK. |
| CEN | European Committee for Standardisation. |
| CENELEC | European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. CENELEC is a European Standards Organisation that publishes harmonised standards for the European market. CENELEC comprises the National Committees of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. |
| CEPEL | Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Electrica (Brazil). In Brazil, all electrical or electronic equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres should be certified by a Brazilian certification body recognised by INMETRO. CEPEL is an accredited body that is able to issue relevant certification. |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations. |
| CSA | Canadian Standards Association. A service they offer includes testing and certification services to US and Canadian Standards, as well as international certification through agreements with other approval authorities. |
| DNV | Det Norske Veritas. |
| EECS | Electrical Equipment Certification Service (UK). They provide a range of testing and certification services primarily related to equipment and systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. EECS has two divisions, the Mining Equipment Certification Services (MECS), and Baseefa. The EECS is a branch of the Health & Safety Executive, UK. |
| EEx | A marking prefix for apparatus complying with one or more types of explosion protection techniques in accordance with CENELEC standards. |
| Explosionproof | A term used to describe equipment that is capable of withstanding an explosion of a specified gas or vapour that may occur within it and preventing the ignition of a specified gas or vapour surrounding it. |
| Flameproof | A type of protection of electrical apparatus in which the enclosure will withstand an internal explosion of a flammable mixture which has penetrated into the interior, without suffering damage and without causing ignition, through any joints or structural openings in the enclosure, of an external explosive atmosphere consisting of one or more of gases or vapours for which it is designed. |
| FM | Factory Mutual Research Corporation (USA). Services they offer include the testing and approval of electrical equipment in accordance with US and international Standards. |
| Hazardous Areas | Locations where fire or explosion hazards may exist due to the presence of flammable gases, vapours, mists, ignitable fibres or dusts. |
| IADC | International Association of Drilling Contractors. |
| IEC | International Electrotechnical Commission. Founded in 1906, the IEC is the world organisation that prepares international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. The membership consists of more than 50 participating countries. |
| IECEx | The aim of the IECEx Scheme is to facilitate international trade in electrical equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres by eliminating the need for multiple national certificates. |
| Increased Safety | A type of protection applied to electrical apparatus that does not produce arcs or sparks in normal service and under specified abnormal conditions, in which additional measures are applied so as to give increased security against the possibility of excessive temperatures and of the occurrence of arcs and sparks. |
| INMETRO | Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalizacão Qualidade Industrial (Brazil). |
| Intrinsically Safe System | An assembly of interconnected items of apparatus which may comprise intrinsically safe apparatus, associated apparatus and other apparatus, and interconnecting cables in which the circuits within those parts of the system that may be exposed to explosive gas atmospheres are intrinsically safe circuits. |
| Impervious Sheathed Cable | Cable constructed with an impervious metallic or non-metallic overall covering that prevents the entrance of gases, moisture or vapours into the insulated conductor or cable. |
| IP | A system of rating standard levels of Ingress Protection provided by the apparatus. |
| ISA | The International Society for Measurement and Control (formerly Instrument Society of America). |
| ISO | International Organisations for Standardisation. A worldwide federation of national standard bodies from 130 countries. ISO's mission is to promote the development of standardisation to facilitate international exchange of goods service. |
| ITS | Intertek Testing Services. |
| Maximum Surface Temperature | The highest temperature of a surface accessible to a flammable mixture under conditions of operation and within the ratings of the equipment. |
| NEMA | National Electrical Manufacturers Association. |
| NFPA | National Fire Protection Association. |
| OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor National Recognised Test Laboratories (NRTL's) recognised by OSHA include CSA, FMRC and UL. The NRTL determines that the specific products meet the relevant standards of safety as required by OSHA and that the products are safe for use in the U.S. workplace. |
| PLTC | Power-limited tray cable as defined by NEC article 725. |
| Potentially Explosive Atmosphere | A mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of a gas, vapour, mist or dust in which, after ignition, combustion spreads through the un-consumed mixture. |
| SCS | SIRA Certification Service (UK). They provide a range of testing and certification services and have agreements with other international approval authorities. |
| TC | Power and control cable as defined by NEC Article 340. |
| USCG | United States Coast Guard. |