Class 1 Div 1 or div 2

[fbhwt]

I recently did some work at a autobody shop,they had a paint booth and paint mixing room installed. I had installed two XP receptacles and put a cord on the mixing rack motor. I was under the impression that this is a div 2 location because under normal operating conditions the containers are closed,therefore I used a non xp junction box at the motor, which by the way is XP. The inspector is calling it a div 1 location, on top of this he is requiring that the rack and table where the touch screen and scale are to be bonded to the screw I used to secure the XP receptacle box to the wall with #6 thhn to disapate static charge produced by the mixing of the paint. Is this a div 1 or 2 location, does nfpa 33 cover static issues?

 

[wbalsam1]

See 516.3. If you're talking about enclosed booths, it's probably Class 1, Division 2 as per 516.3(C)(4), 2005 NEC:smile: or NFPA 33:6.5.4

 

[fbhwt]

This is the mixing room I'm talking about, not the paint booth which is seperate from the paint booth.

 

[fbhwt]

It is enclosed and has negative ventilation.

 

[weressl]

This is the mixing room I'm talking about, not the paint booth which is seperate from the paint booth.

There should have been an engineered area classification documentation as per OSHA. It should not be left to the installer to decide.

The general rule is that where ignitable mixtures are present as part of the normal operation the area should be classified as Div. 1. If such mixtures are present only as the result of equipment failure, it would be Div. 2.

Not knowing how the mixing room functions I would say that if containers are routinely opened, emptied and open mixing occurs then it is a Div. 1 area. Of course if they use waterbased paints, as we manufacture it, the whole issue would be mote.