From our Hazardous Area Surveillance tutorial. Net/net, you probably need to look strongly at using a 3rd party housing with an Avigilon camera:
There are two types or categories of equipment to choose from:
- 3rd party rated enclosure + 'regular' COTS camera
- Assembly/kit that pre-fabricates hazardous enclosure and camera
Examples of 3rd party 'explosion proof' or 'intrinsically safe' housings include:
The cost range for rated enclosures ranges is $900 - $1,700 USD.
The second category is a singular rated ‘assembly’ – camera, housing, enclosure, cabling – that has been previously certified as a unit. No changes, beyond positioning the equipment, are allowed to be made during install for the assembly to retain this rating. Examples of 'intrinsically safe' assemblies include:
The cost range for rated assemblies is $8,000 - $14,000 USD.
Choosing Between these Categories
This is a hard decision as important tradeoffs exist.
The advantages of using 3rd party enclosures include:
- Low Price: It will almost always be significantly cheaper to buy a 3rd party rated enclosure and COTS camera rather than an assembly.
- Camera Selection: This allows freedom to pick your preferred camera
- VMS Compatibility: This makes it easier to guarantee interoperability with VMS
However, there is a crucial disadvantage of using 3rd party enclosures:
- The burden falls to the provider to ensure that all of the accompanying portions of equipment are also certified. A significant amount of risk is accepted by the integrator when supplying a 'piecemeal' solution.
Supplying a rated 'assembly' might ultimately prove to be a better decision depending upon how stringently the requirements are interpreted, and how willing the supplier is to accept risk for nonconforming performance of a 'piecemeal' assembly. A rated assembly that is installed properly serves to indemnify the supplier of risk.
Whichever option you choose, make sure the AHJ signs off in writing beforehand.