Safety Meeting Notes

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Safety Meeting Notes June 8, 2009 INTRINSIC SAFETY

Intrinsically safe – a device safe to use in hazardous areas that may contain fuel in the atmosphere, such as flammable gasses or vapors, or combustible dust.

An intrinsically safe device is therefore incapable of releasing sufficient electrical or thermal energy to ignite the fuel and cause fire or explosion.

You may have come across the term "intrinsic safety" or seen the reference that a piece of equipment is "intrinsically safe." Intrinsic safety is a requirement that may be applicable to devices that are being operated in areas with flammable gases or fuels. It means that the device is incapable of igniting those gases. In short, an intrinsically safe piece of equipment won't ignite flammable gases. ISA-RP12-6 defines intrinsically safe equipment as "equipment and wiring which is incapable of releasing sufficient electrical or thermal energy under normal or abnormal conditions to cause ignition of a specific hazardous atmospheric mixture in its most easily ignited concentration."

Many ultra rugged mobile computers will include intrinsically safe (I-Safe) specifications or approval ratings. Understanding I-Safe approval ratings can be a difficult proposition for even the most informed customer. Intrinsically safe areas are hazardous environments where flammable gases, vapors and liquids are stored and manufactured. These areas are prevalent in many of today's manufacturing facilities including chemical plants, paint manufacturers, oil refineries, textile mills, etc. In North America, hazardous areas are separated by classes, divisions, and groups to define the level of safety required for equipment installed in these locations. Boulder - Colorado Alpharetta - Georgia Apex – North Carolina Lake Jackson, Houston – Texas Long Beach, Westlake Village - California

Classes define the form of flammable materials in the atmosphere. Divisions define the probability of the presence of flammable materials. Groups classify the exact flammable nature of the material. Example: A Class I, Division 1 location is a location where ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, vapors or liquids can exist under normal operating conditions.

A Class I, Division 2 location is a location where volatile flammable liquids or flammable gases or vapors exist, but are normally confined within closed containers Intrinsically safe equipment must carry a label, which specifies the exact rating for the equipment and the name of the NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) which tested it.

Every client site will have their own intrinsically safe policies for electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, radios, and possibly cameras. For example, BP LAR refinery requires:  Cell phone used within the refinery unit boundaries must be intrinsically safe.  Intrinsically safe phones are marked on the back by a green FM approved diamond.  Non-intrinsically safe phones must be turned off within unit boundaries.

Remember, every client site is different. When in doubt it is best to leave your cell phones off or other electronic equipment off!

For more information on intrinsically safe devices please visit the following websites: http://www.ruggedpcreview.com/3_definitions_intrinsic.html http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=221