Glossary Updates12 new terms added to the glossaries · October 2, 2026, 22:44 CEST
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Glossary · Process instrumentation and analytical measurement

Intrinsic safety

Also known as: IS

German: Eigensicherheit

In explosion protection, intrinsic safety is a type of protection based on restricting the electrical energy in equipment and interconnecting wiring exposed to an explosive atmosphere to a level below that which can cause ignition by sparking or heating effects.

  • Process instrumentation
  • Standards
  • Process industry

In one sentence

Intrinsic safety is an explosion protection concept that limits electrical energy so that neither sparks nor heat can ignite an explosive atmosphere.

Example

Level switches in a solvent tank are connected in intrinsically safe circuits, so technicians can work on the field wiring under defined conditions.

How it applies

  • Engineering: Intrinsic safety applies to the whole system: field device, associated apparatus (barrier or isolator) and cables. Entity parameters such as maximum voltage, current, power, capacitance and inductance must match between devices.
  • Installation: Intrinsically safe circuits are separated from other circuits and usually marked, often in light blue. IEC 60079-14 covers selection and installation.
  • Safety: Intrinsic safety protects against ignition of an explosive atmosphere. It does not by itself make a process safe, and it is not the same as functional safety.
  • Documentation: Keep the intrinsic safety assessment for each loop and the device certificates. Maintenance instructions must say that only certified replacement parts may be used.

Intrinsic safety vs. functional safety

Intrinsic safety prevents electrical equipment from igniting an explosive atmosphere. Functional safety concerns the correct functioning of safety-related control systems. A device can meet one without the other.

By knowledge.aitechdoc.world · Published September 26, 2026 · Last reviewed

Source: IEC 60079-11, Explosive atmospheres — Part 11: Equipment protection by intrinsic safety "i"

Definitions follow the cited standards and specifications. Where a source is a copyrighted publication, such as an ISO, IEC or EN standard, the definition is a close paraphrase, not a verbatim quotation, so as not to infringe copyright. We recommend reading the original publication. The sections “How it applies” are editorial commentary by AI TechDoc Knowledge and are not part of any standard.

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