It would be ideal if every industrial environment was completely safe. Unfortunately, there are many industrial situations where hazardous materials are used. This is the situation where many common solvents are used or manufactured. There are a wide variety of chemicals which may explode in the presence of a spark or may ignite in the presence of a flame. Explosive situations may even exist in areas where the atmosphere has a very high dust content.

Equipment that is use in these areas must be specially designed so that they cannot cause a spark or flame or very high temperature, even if there are compound failures of that equipment. Generally, these items may be considered to be intrinsically safe.

Intrinsically safe scales are used in hazardous areas where items must be weighed. While it is important, of course, for these devices to be accurate, it is essential that they be designed for safety. There are a number of rating levels that note the level of safety. There are also a variety of rating organizations.

The most common and effective method of powering an intrinsically safe scale is with a special battery pack. This pack must be protected so that it cannot provide a large amount of energy within a short period of time.