Intrinsic Safety Solutions

What is Intrinsic Safety?

Intrinsic safety is a protection method for the safe operation of electrical equipment in hazardous locations that prevents explosions from occurring by ensuring that the energy transferred to a hazardous area is well below the energy required to initiate an explosion, which can take the form or a hot surface or an electrical spark. Intrinsic safety is an electrical design approach and one of the key methods used to protect electrical equipment in hazardous locations.

Intrinsic Safety Benefits

Products that have been designed to be intrinsically safe are usually suitable for use in all Hazardous Location divisions, zones, and environments due to the fact that this protection method requires the most stringent certification standards. The concept of protection behind Intrinsic Safety involves ensuring low energy levels to prevent incendive sparking and hotspots.

Some benefits of using intrinsic safety for products in these environments include:

1. Increased safety: Intrinsic safety systems are designed to prevent ignition of flammable or explosive materials by limiting the amount of energy that can be supplied to electrical equipment. This reduces the risk of fire or explosion in hazardous environments.
2. Improved reliability: Intrinsic safety systems are designed to be reliable and durable, with self-monitoring features that detect and correct any problems before they become a hazard. This helps ensure the system will continue to function properly even in harsh or hazardous environments.
3. Lower costs: Intrinsic safety systems can be less expensive than other safety systems, as they do not require elaborate protective measures, such as explosion-proof enclosures.
4. Easy to install: Intrinsic safety systems are typically easier to install than other safety systems, as they do not require complex electrical connections or modifications to existing equipment
5. Versatility: Intrinsic safety systems can be used in a wide range of hazardous environments, including petrochemical plants, oil and gas refineries, and chemical processing facilities.

Overall, intrinsic safety provides a high level of safety and reliability in hazardous environments, while also being cost-effective and easy to install.

8 Ways to Expedite the Intrinsically Safe Product Certification Process
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Intertek's Intrinsic Safety Solutions

Due to the highly complex testing and certification requirements of a product that is intended to be intrinsically safe, Intertek can provide clients with a specialized Preliminary review process to walk you through the standards and requirements associated with this protection method.

We offer two service levels, including:

Limited Overview

• Simple review of temperature and spark ignition
• No formal assessment or calculations performed

Full Assessment

• Full analysis of temperature and spark ignition
• Must provide schematics
• Must provide full Bill of Materials

To learn more about intrinsic safety, hazardous area classifications and how to approach your intrinsic safety project, click the button above to download our white paper.