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HAZARDOUS AREAS · PROTECTION

Intrinsically Safe vs Non-Incendive: What Is the Difference?

Intrinsically safe equipment limits electrical and thermal energy so it cannot ignite a hazardous atmosphere even when faults occur, which allows use in the most hazardous areas. Non-incendive equipment cannot cause ignition in normal operation, but is not protected against faults, so it is limited to Division 2 or Zone 2 areas.

01

The Short Answer

Intrinsic safety works by keeping energy too low to ignite anything, which suits low-power devices such as sensors and handheld radios. A panel PC with a large screen and an Intel Core processor draws too much power for that, so most hazardous area HMIs are non-incendive designs certified for Division 2 or Zone 2.

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    Check the area first Division 1 or Zone 0/1 rules out non-incendive equipment.
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    Match the power High-power computers are rarely intrinsically safe; low-power instruments often are.
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    Look at the marking Ex ia or ib marks intrinsic safety for Zones 0 and 1; Ex ic is for Zone 2.
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    Mind the wiring Intrinsically safe circuits need barriers or isolators back to the safe area.
02

Why It Matters

Our Class 1 Division 2 FAQ and ATEX zones FAQ explain the area systems. See our intrinsically safe computers and hazardous area panel PCs.