July 23rd, 2018 | Updated on April 13th, 2023
Safety is paramount in any industrial work site. When there are various hazards present, it is the responsibility of the management to ensure that risks are mitigated. One way to lessen the possible occurrence of work-related incidents is to ensure that machines and equipment follow recommended safety standards.
In mining, for example, each machine or equipment has to follow intrinsic safety requirements. These days, intrinsic safety is not only applicable in mines, but in every industry where there is potential exposure to hazardous and flammable gasses.
1. What Is Intrinsic Safety?
The concept of intrinsic safety was borne out of necessity during the 19th century. During that time, explosions in mines caused by sparks from electrical devices coupled with flammable gasses in the air led to numerous casualties.
As a way to resolve this, it became a requirement that any piece of machinery, even a linear transducer and other types of position sensors should not have any parts that generate enough electrical current to cause a spark and ignite hazardous chemicals in the air.
The inherent nature of mines, where workers are trapped in confined spaces became the primary reason for the occurrence of these explosions.
Intrinsic safety can be a requirement not only for working in mines but in other industrial sites where there is higher exposure to hazardous chemicals and gasses.
That is why, intrinsic safety, as a concept transcends industries and becomes a standard for operational safety of machinery and equipment.
2. How To Comply With Intrinsic Safety Requirements
Intrinsic safety does not only pertain to a piece of device or machinery. There are standards that need to be followed in wiring and setting up a system to ensure that it follows these requirements.
For instance, in mines, each piece of equipment should be located at a safe distance and should have barriers against possible contact with ignitable substance.
In terms of awarding intrinsic safety certificate to position sensors, there are regulatory bodies responsible for inspecting manufacturers and ensuring that each piece of equipment labelled intrinsically safe follows stringent standards.
These regulatory bodies can be from the public sector or a group of private entities. In the UK, the regulatory body for intrinsic safety is ATEX and for other parts of the world, it is IECEx.
3. Looking For Intrinsic Safety Sensors
Most manufacturers of sensors carry intrinsic safety products. When looking for a particular device, it is important to ensure that the intrinsic safety requirements are followed in order not to compromise safety.
If you are unable to find a specific sensor from a particular supplier, you can always check if they offer custom-build options.
Not all sensor manufacturers offer the option for customisation. If you are able to find a company that customises sensors, check the technology they are using as well. These days, it is preferred that sensors have non-contact mechanisms.
Contactless sensors have additional benefits that include longer life-cycle, robustness, and suitability for extreme working conditions. Non-contact sensors are also less prone to damage and breakage caused by friction.
Image: Pixabay.com
