Specifying a detector for a process deck where hydrocarbon vapour may be present is a different exercise from choosing one for a machinery space. The device has to see a fire quickly across an open, ventilated area where smoke disperses before it can accumulate, and it has to do so without becoming an ignition source itself.
Those two obligations are certified separately, by different bodies, against different standards. Procurement teams who treat them as a single tick box tend to discover the gap at commissioning.
When Is A Flame Detector The Right Choice?
Flame detectors suit spaces where a fire will produce radiant energy before it produces usable smoke or a measurable temperature rise at a detector head. That covers open decks, process modules, pump rooms, turbine enclosures and other well-ventilated areas handling flammable liquids or gases, where an optical detector watching a volume responds faster than a point detector waiting for combustion products to reach it.
The FSS Code leaves the choice open in principle. Chapter 9 provides that detectors shall be operated by heat, smoke or other products of combustion, flame, or any combination of these factors, and it requires flame detectors to be tested according to EN 54-10 together with the relevant IEC 60092 marine electrical installation standard.
Detector type is then matched to the space, which is the same reasoning set out in multi-detector vs single-sensor, applied to an environment where smoke sensing is the weaker option. A marine flame detector selected for an offshore installation or a tanker deck should be justified against the fire it is expected to see, and we can work through that selection with you from Singapore.
What Does Hazardous Area Classification Actually Mean?
Hazardous area classification is the process of identifying places where an explosive atmosphere may occur in quantities requiring special precautions, and dividing them into zones according to how likely that atmosphere is to be present and for how long.
For gases and vapours the divisions are Zone 0, where an explosive gas atmosphere is present continuously or for long periods; Zone 1, where it is likely to occur in normal operation; and Zone 2, where it is not likely in normal operation and would exist only for a short time.
The classification is done before equipment is chosen, not after. Standards in the IEC 60079 series divide the work between the parts: part 0 sets general requirements for equipment, part 10-1 covers classification of areas for explosive gas atmospheres, and part 14 covers installation design, selection and installation of equipment, including initial inspection.
Getting the zone wrong in either direction carries a cost. Equipment certified for Zone 2 and installed in a Zone 1 location is a compliance failure, and it is the kind of discrepancy commonly picked up at survey, while over-specifying every position to Zone 0 inflates procurement cost and often the physical size of the device with it.
ATEX Or IECEx: Which Certification Applies?
They are different instruments and one of them is law. ATEX refers to European Union directives, principally Directive 2014/34/EU, which sets the essential health and safety requirements and conformity assessment procedures that apply before equipment is placed on the EU market. IECEx, by contrast, is an international certification system operated under the International Electrotechnical Commission, which appoints certification bodies and test laboratories and does not itself carry out testing or certification.
Vessels trading across several jurisdictions are commonly specified to both, because the ATEX file usually rests on the same technical basis as the IECEx documentation, and dual marking reduces the documentation queries a vessel is likely to face from one jurisdiction to the next.
Which Sensing Technology Suits The Space?
Sensing technology decides what the detector responds to and what it can be fooled by. Manufacturers’ selection guides describe the main options in broadly consistent terms, and the practical differences show up in false alarm behaviour rather than in raw sensitivity.
| Technology | Responds to | Main limitation |
| Ultraviolet | Ultraviolet emission from a flame front | Arc welding and similar sources; window contamination by oil mist |
| Single-frequency infrared | Infrared emission from hot combustion gases | Modulated hot bodies and reflected radiation |
| Combined UV and IR | Coincident signal in both bands | Slower than UV alone; still limited by window condition |
| Multi-band infrared | Several infrared bands compared by ratio logic | Higher cost; range depends on fuel type |
| Multi-spectrum imaging | Radiant energy plus visual verification | Higher cost and greater commissioning effort |
Performance against false stimuli is a tested property, not a marketing claim. The current FM standard for radiant energy-sensing fire detectors, ANSI/FM 3260, requires detectors to give no trouble or false alarm signal in the presence of modulated and non-modulated direct and reflected sunlight, arc welding, heated bodies such as electrical heaters, and artificial light sources including incandescent, fluorescent and halogen lamps. Where a site has a recurring false alarm history, that test list is a reasonable place to start diagnosing it. The Tyco flamevision flame detector range covers several of these sensing approaches for marine and offshore duty.
What Belongs In The Specification Package?
A flame detector for a hazardous area carries two independent qualifications, and both sets of paperwork should arrive with the equipment:
- Fire performance certification against EN 54-10 or an equivalent recognised standard such as ANSI/FM 3260
- Explosion protection certification under ATEX, IECEx or both, with the Ex marking, the certificate of conformity and the manufacturer’s declaration
- Marine type approval from the relevant class society or flag administration, with the certificate expiry date and any periodical assessment dates visible on the face of it
- The area classification drawing for the position concerned, so the equipment protection level can be matched to the zone
Specify With Confidence
Optical detection in a hazardous area rewards care at specification stage, because a detector certified for the atmosphere but poorly matched to the fire scenario will either miss the event or generate false alarms until confidence in it is lost.
Atlas Technologies Corporation is an authorised distributor for Tyco, Federal Signal and Solo, supplying certified detection equipment across the marine, offshore and oil and gas sectors from our base in Singapore. Talk to our team about the zone and the fire scenario you are protecting against, and we will help you specify equipment that suits both.
