What does intrinsically safe mean?

Intrinsically safe equipment is designed so that under normal operating conditions, or in the event of a fault, a spark or arc is incapable of causing an ignition of gases, vapors, or dust due to lower electrical energy.

One of the major features of intrinsically safe technology is that it relies on lower voltage/current in order to prevent arcing or sparking.

An important consequence of reduced voltage is that intrinsically safe equipment is constrained by these lower voltages. This means that some features must be eliminated and performance is reduced.