The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) defines standards used in North America for various grades of electrical enclosures typically used in industrial applications. Each is rated to protect against personal access to hazardous parts, and additional type-dependent designated environmental conditions. A typical NEMA enclosure might be rated to provide protection against environmental hazards such as water, dustSmall solid particles in the atmosphere, which settle due to their own weight, however, can stay airborne in the atmosphere for some time as a dust/air mixture., oil or coolant or atmospheres containing corrosive agents such as acetylene or gasoline.
NEMA type 4: Watertight. Must exclude at least 65 GPM of water from a 1 in nozzle delivered from a distance not less than 10 ft for 5 min. Used outdoors on ship docks, in dairies, in wastewater treatment plants and breweries. X (as 4X) indicates additional corrosion resistance.
