Just a bit of guidance please. This is not my area, I'm not acting as a consultant, but we have been asked to do some repairs to some lighting installed in a pit in a garage servicing commercial vehicles. These are normally diesel powered, but nothing stopping a petrol engine powered vehicle being taken in there. I have looked for guidance with regard to the classification of the pit area under DSEAR from HSE, but found nothing definitive, my initial gut feeling was it requires flame proof / explosion proof equipment, but this is not what I have seen in other locations of this type even newly installed ones. The existing equipment is standard linear fluorescent fittings. If it has to be zoned I would zone it as a 2 under DSEAR, anyone else? This really is NOT my area, that is an educated guess! I normally don’t get involved but this is part of a much larger job that has been added on & I would rather not subcontract it as there is not much work out there! I’ve been through hsg261, not sure whether to go through the DSEAR stuff or get a specialist in? Any suggestions please? I will be contacting our electrical controlling body also over this. Thanks in advance. Paul

Holmezy, Thanks for that, but that is not what HSE say in hsg261 though, which is why I became confused. It's not about fumes, its about the collection of possible flammable vapours from solvents etc. as I understand it? Thanks

Approximately half a cup of petrol in the volume of the average inspection pit will create ideal conditions for flash-point fire/explosion. Do you really want to take that chance with ordinary electrical fittings?

Paul The HSE doc 803/71 is the specialist advice document. Area Classification under Dsear, would recognise that Diesel does not produce flammable vapours at ambient temperatures [await global warming]. 803 suggests pits are Zone 2 where there is petrol or highly flammable automotive paints. However the owners (their legal duty to carry out the Dsear RA) may say "no petrol and no paint spraying" as controls in the workshop , therefore the pit is a 'Safe area'. In reality there is not a lot of difference between an outdoor weatherproof fitting and a zone 2 fitting. The ATEX test certificate costs the money. If they say it is "safe" then an outdoor fitting is the best solution,just in case someone bring their car in on a Sat to drain the petrol tank! Peter

You might wish to consider what other activities or hazards exist in vehicle maintenance units. For example, it is common to find LPG fuelled space heaters. Worth remembering, as its not uncommon for leaks in supply pipes, poorly maintained heaters etc. My company therefore bans them from VMUs as the risk of LPG gas entering a pit is reasonably forseeable - not to mention the fire risk.