It is currently mandatory for safety inspectors to carry intrinsically safe devices for hazardous areas when performing safety inspections in hazardous environments.
Conducting safety inspection processes through some mobile devices is unachievable for certain industries as worksites forbid the use of smartphones and tablets that are not certificated as being intrinsically safe as they are deemed dangerous to operate in hazardous areas (Zone 1 or Zone 2).
Intrinsic safety is a requirement that may be applicable to devices that are being operated in areas with flammable gases or fuels. It means a preventative protection method is needed to be employed in potentially explosive atmospheres, such as places with gas or dust in the workplace. Certificate intrinsically safe tools/devices prevent the release of sufficient energy to cause ignition of flammable material, therefore keeping both the inspector and all those within the operating environment safe during an inspection.
There are differing regulations and requirements which dictate how mobile devices are certified and manufactured in order to be used as intrinsically safe certified device. There are mainly two regulatory bodies and certifications: – ATEX (‘Atmospheres Explosive) – mainly in recognised in Europe and IECEx, (International Electro technical Commission) mainly recognised internationally. Today there are a host of different devices with certificates in either of these regulatory bodies, and now there are digital inspection platforms to run on these devices.
