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Intrinsic Safety

Please contact safaservices@vdw.co.za with any suggestions or comments of matters concerning intrinsic safety.

The group will meet every two months, and has set its objectives as follows:

  • To communicate on a regular basis.

  • To gain and exchange knowledge and experience between end users, suppliers, vendors, test houses, and legal authorities.

  • To share and implement best practices.

  • To ensure practical IS installations and standardize on IS loops.

  • To identify and discuss typical problems and concerns in the industry and solve them.

  • To get feedback from the test houses and trends in the international arena.

  • To fill the gap in the knowledge of role players.

  • To provide information on local IA certification & the implications.

  • To work towards full compliance with IECEx.

Exic Clarification From IS Sub-Committee Meeting

These questions were raised at the IS meeting on 18 August. Herewith follows the questions and answers:

Q - Where does it say that Exic is for zone 2 only?
A - The relationship is identified in 60079-14 section 5.3 and 5.4 - (please click 
here for 60079-14 section 5.3 and 5.4)

Q - Where does it say that it does not require a barrier/isolator?
A - This statement isn't true, you will need an IS interface - barrier, isolator or I/O card or a device with suitable IS safety parameters declared.

Q - Where does it say that you can run Exic wiring with Exia & Exib wiring?
A - It appears in both 60079-14 and Draft 60079-25 - (Please click 
here for the latter)

Q - What is necessary for loop drawing approvals? i.e. how do you do calcs?
A - It will follow the same process that we have now. However, as per Chris T note cable parameters are not likely to cause a problem for most installations.

Please Click Here for the 'Comparison of the techniques of Intrinsic Safety ‘ic’ and Energy Limitation ‘nL'

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