Intrinsic safety ensures that electrical equipment cannot ignite hazardous gases in volatile environments. IS certification is required for equipment operating in such environments, and varies by country. Intrinsic safety barriers limit energy to prevent explosions and require specific approvals and specifications. ATEX certification standardizes IS certification between the US and Europe.
Intrinsic safety means that equipment under any condition of use is incapable of releasing any electrical or thermal energy, to cause ignition in any type of hazardous gaseous mixture that surrounds it. Therefore, for a device that is used in areas with flammable gases, intrinsic safety is a requirement that ensures that there is no danger of the gases catching fire due to the operation of the device. The device will not be able to ignite these gases under any operating conditions. The definition of electrical safety of intrinsically safe equipment is given by ISA-RP12-6.
Several modern manufacturing facilities include oil storage, paint manufacturing, textile mills, and chemical plants. All of these environments contain a preponderance of flammable liquids, gases and vapors. Operation of electrical equipment in these hazardous environments requires that it be incapable of producing any means of ignition for these gases and vapors. It is mandatory that electrical equipment operating in this type of volatile environment follows intrinsic safety standards for electrical safety. Evaluating intrinsic safety approval ratings could be daunting for even the most knowledgeable person. However, these intrinsically safe approvals are also required for the most up-to-date and rugged mobile computers that operate in such hazardous conditions.
Obtaining an intrinsically safe or IS classification does not guarantee that the device can be used in hazardous environments. Each environment has its own specific certification requirement and any equipment operating in the environment must be IS certified to the level required for the specific environment. Certification of equipment for IS is done in Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories or NRTLs. These laboratories certify to extremely stringent intrinsic safety standards, which vary according to the level of IS approval required. Therefore, IS certified electrical equipment will carry a label specifying the exact IS level and rating, along with the name of the NRTL that tested it.
Intrinsic safety barriers are devices used to connect IS devices with other non-IS devices. This protection technique will limit the current, voltage and total energy supplied to a device located in a hazardous area in order to prevent any explosion. Selecting intrinsic safety barriers requires an understanding and analysis of approvals and specifications. Among these specifications are important parameters such as operating temperatures, maximum voltages and currents, and the maximum number of input and output channels. Products may carry the UL Mark (USA), CSA Mark (Canada), CE Mark (Europe), which denotes the various national and international agencies that provide approvals for intrinsically safe barriers. Approvals are also provided by CENELEC or the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization and Mutual Factory Research, or FM, as non-profit testing organizations.
IS approval ratings are not identical in all countries. It is imperative to understand the differences between the IS approval standards in order to obtain certification of the product for use in the specified country. However, ATEX certification standardizes the IS certification process between the United States and Europe and makes intrinsic safety certification a much easier process for electrical equipment intended to operate in both countries.
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