Lighting plays an essential role in the safe operation of any type of production process and industrial operation. Workers are frequently exposed to dark areas and require effective lighting so they can perform their jobs safely and effectively.

Conventional lighting, however, can be extremely dangerous when placed in the wrong location. These types of lighting are one of the most common causes of explosions and workplace accidents, especially in high-risk locations such as mining sites. 

The go-to solution for safe illumination in dangerous locations is often considered to be hazardous area lighting. These are lights especially crafted for such areas for emergency and industrial industries and are generally considered a highly effective means of providing safe light in places that pose a risk to health and safety.

Below, we’ll outline what you need to know about lighting in hazardous areas.

Hazardous lighting (sometimes referred to as hazardous location lighting or hazardous area lighting) refers to lighting you can safely and securely use in an area where there is a risk of a fire or an explosion.

The source of these hazards can be varied, but they are generally always flammable. There may be dust, fibre, gas or vapour lurking around the area, posing a significant risk of combustion if it interacts with electricity.



Hazardous lighting is designed to safely provide light while eliminating the risk of such a combustion. 

‘Hazardous area’ has been given a specific definition by various standards imposed by Standards Australia. AS/NZS 3000 Clause 1.4.11 defines a ‘hazardous area’ as:

“Area in which an explosive atmosphere is present, or may be expected to be present, in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction, installation and use of equipment [AS/NZS 60079.0].”

In layman’s terms, a hazardous area simply means a place containing (or is reasonably expected to contain) flammable material such as gases, vapours, combustible dust, flyings and fibres. Interestingly enough, flour and cocoa can both be incredibly explosive and may constitute ‘combustible dusts’.

Examples of hazardous areas include petrol stations (such as tanks or bowsers), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refill areas, airports, laboratories, workshops, different industrial facilities, power stations and more.



In most cases, it is impossible to know what part of a location a ‘hazardous area’ is without extensive industry knowledge and experience.

Hazardous areas are classified into different zones by Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand, two organisations that have jointly created standards relied upon by the industry across both countries.

These classifications are based on the frequency and the length of time of a release of hazardous materials such as gases and fibres. It is also based on the materials’ concentration and the ventilation of the overall area.

Below, we’ve outlined some examples of the different zones based on the different flammable materials.

LED lighting is often considered the best type of lighting for hazardous areas. There has been a rise in demand for LED products in recent years due to the ‘explosion proof lighting’ solution that they provide for the industry.

There are a number of reasons why this is the case, and we’ve outlined some of them below.

Compared to conventional High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting, LED is internationally renowned for being an energy efficient solution for hazardous environments. They operate at a lower wattage rate and consume far less energy.



The result of having LED lights around an industrial facility is a reduction of utility costs, which can be quite significant if you’re running a large operation in places such as mines or power plants. 

First-class and industrial-grade LED lighting can isolate and contain sparks from escaping and igniting gases or vapours that find themselves in dangerous areas. 



You can also obtain portable explosion proof LED lighting if you’re looking to carry your hazardous area lights around a particular location. This is useful for large workplaces like mines and warehouses.

While LED does have a lower wattage rate, it does not sacrifice the output of lumen (which, in simple terms, means visibility).



The higher the lumen output in a hazardous area, the better visibility workers will have, which will ultimately help avoid accidents, injuries and damage to your equipment. The lighting also will not flicker and reduces the amount of shadow.

One of the most advantageous features of LED lighting is that their design means they produce virtually no heat. This is critical when it comes to dangerous environments, where heat can potentially cause fatal combinations when combined with gases, vapours and combustible dusts.



Because regular lighting is inherently inefficient, its energy is converted into heat rather than actual illumination. By contrast, a good LED light will convert around 80 percent of its energy into illumination so workers can see what they are doing.

LED lighting options are available in all the different Australian Standard Zone ratings we’ve outlined above. It’s important to pick the right lighting for the Zones that you’ll be working with. You don’t want to be in a situation where you purchase a LED light ideal for Zone 2 when your workspace contains various Zone 1 hazardous areas.

Our team of experts at EXIN Light are available to answer questions and address any concerns you have about lighting in hazardous areas.

We supply first-class Zone 0 industrial explosion proof lights and have had decades of experience providing safe effective solutions to complex industrial operations. Give us a call on 02 4355 4577 or send us a message here to learn more.

EXIN Light endeavours to ensure all information is up-to-date and accurate, however there may be some discrepancies from time to time. EXIN Light takes no responsibility for misuse of this information.