Electrical equipment in hazardous areas the participation of operations, maintenance, safety, electrical and instrumentation professionals, the use of process diagrams and material flows, MSDS and any pertinent documents, information and knowledge to determine the hazards and their extent and the countermeasures to be employed. Area classification documentations are reviewed and updated to reflect process changes. Soon after the introduction of electric power into coal mines, it was discovered that lethal explosions could be initiated by electrical equipment such as lighting, signals, or motors. The hazard of fire damp or methane accumulation in mines was well known by the time electricity was introduced, along with the
Louisville sewer explosions Louisville sewer explosions The Louisville sewer explosions were a series of explosions on February 13, 1981, that destroyed more than of sewer lines and streets in the center of Louisville, Kentucky. The explosions resulted in extensive damage to property and infrastructure and four people were injured, but none of the injuries were serious and there were no fatalities. The blasts were caused by the ignition of hexane vapors which had been illegally discharged from a Ralston-Purina soybean processing plant located near the University of Louisville. The plant, located on Floyd Street, was a long-standing landmark built early in the century