Low Smoke Cable is governed by a standard that is IEC 61034. In the oil and gas industry, there are some companies that require certain conditions for cables that they use in electrical and instrumentation installations. One of them is for Low Smoke Cable. If you are an electrical engineer or instrumentation then you should know what this really is.
The reason why most oil and gas companies require cables to meet low smoke standards is due to safety considerations. We know that the oil and gas industry is an industry that has big risk of fire, therefore it is expected that in case of fire the smoke caused by the burning of the cable does not prevent personnel to save themselves. you can imagine if fire creates thick smoke, of course the visibility will be limited and personnel will have difficulty escaping from danger.
The following are the regulations governing these conditions:
You can find other code related to flame exposed condition for cable here.