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Technical6 min read

Five Installation Mistakes That Cost an Explosion-Proof Camera Its Compliance

The certificate covers the assembled unit — housing, gland and blanking plug together. These five installation choices are the ones that most often turn a certified camera into a non-compliant one.

An explosion-proof camera is certified as a complete assembly — housing, cable entry, gland and blanking plug together. The certificate covers that assembly, not the camera body on its own.

Most site failures are therefore not camera failures. They come from installation choices that break the assembly after the camera has left the factory. Each mistake below is cheap to avoid at install time and expensive to correct after commissioning.

1. Fitting a gland that carries no Ex certification

The cable entry is part of the flameproof enclosure. A general-purpose industrial gland may seal against water and dust, but it does not preserve the flame path, and it is not covered by the enclosure's certificate.

Use a gland certified for the same protection concept as the enclosure — Ex d for a flameproof housing, Ex e for increased safety — and rated for the cable construction and diameter you are actually pulling. Where armoured cable is used, the gland must also terminate the armour correctly.

2. Damaging, corroding or painting the flame path

The machined joint between the housing and its cover is what contains an internal ignition and stops it reaching the surrounding atmosphere. Scratches, corrosion, paint build-up, a missing gasket or an incorrect O-ring all defeat it.

Keep the joint clean and unpainted unless the manufacturer's installation manual explicitly permits a specified coating. Torque the cover bolts to the value given in that manual, with the correct bolt grade — not by feel.

3. Leaving unused cable entries open

Every unused entry must be closed with a certified blanking or stopping plug of the same protection concept and thread form as the entry. An open entry, or one closed with a plain metal plug, leaves the enclosure non-compliant no matter what certificate the camera itself carries.

This is the most common finding on sites where cameras were installed with spare capacity for future cabling.

4. Inadequate earthing and bonding

The enclosure must be bonded into the plant's equipotential system using the earth facility provided by the manufacturer, with a conductor sized and terminated to the project specification.

Paint, anodising and surface corrosion can insulate a bonding point. Use the designated earth stud and the washer type specified by the project, then verify continuity rather than assuming it.

5. Opening the enclosure while it is energised

Flameproof does not mean safe to open. The enclosure may only be opened after the circuit has been isolated under the site's permit-to-work system, and in many cases after the manufacturer's stated discharge or cooling period.

Where a camera needs frequent adjustment, plan for it at design stage — remote configuration, an external wiper control, or a certified increased-safety enclosure for the termination — instead of accepting repeated hot openings as normal practice.

Commissioning checks before handover

  • Confirm the Ex marking on the camera nameplate matches the zone, gas group and temperature class required by the area classification.
  • Verify each gland and blanking plug carries its own Ex marking and certificate, for the same protection concept as the enclosure.
  • Check that all cover bolts are present, of the correct grade, and torqued to the manufacturer's value.
  • Confirm the earth or bond connection is made at the designated point and that continuity has been measured.
  • Record the installation in the hazardous-area register with the certificate references for every certified component — not just the camera.
Ex marking, gas group, temperature class and ingress rating are stated per individual model on its own specification page and certificate. Values differ between models, so use the values on the specific model's certificate — not a sibling model's — when you complete a procurement review or a register entry.

Frequently asked

Can I use a standard IP68 gland on an Ex d camera?
No. Ingress protection and explosion protection are separate properties assessed separately. The gland needs its own Ex certification for the protection concept in use, in addition to the IP rating the installation requires.
Does the camera's certificate still apply if I change the gland?
The certificate applies to the assembly as certified. Substituting a component that was not covered by that certificate can invalidate the installation. Check the certificate scope and the manufacturer's instructions before replacing any component.
What should be recorded in the hazardous-area register?
At minimum: the location and its zone, the camera model and Ex marking, the certificate numbers for the camera, the gland and any blanking plugs, and the inspection record. The detail is defined by your site's inspection regime, which is normally built on IEC 60079-17.

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