Provincial regulation
Mine safety is regulated province by province; in Ontario, for example, Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act includes a part on electrical equipment.
A regional grouping rather than one site: Canada is a major producer of nickel, copper, potash and uranium, and the Sudbury Basin in Ontario is one of the world's largest nickel and copper ore suppliers. Underground workings, processing plants and fuel and explosives stores are the typical classified or controlled areas. An Ex-proof mobile phone distributor in Canadian mining regions would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Canadian mining regions has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ex marking | Group, category, protection concept, gas group, temperature class | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 (target) |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC matched to the area drawing | IIC (target) |
| Temperature class | T-class below the ignition temperature of the gas | T4, 135 °C (target) |
| Where it applies | Canadian mining regions: Fuel storage, Explosives storage, Underground mine workings | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Canada Mining Operations. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Mine safety is regulated province by province; in Ontario, for example, Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act includes a part on electrical equipment.
Equipment taken underground generally has to suit the mine's hazard classification and may need approval by the mine's own electrical or safety department.
Industrial-scale mining began in the 18th century, with an iron mine at Forges du Saint-Maurice (1738 to 1883) and copper at Bruce Mines, Ontario from 1848, so many sites are old and complex.
Canada was the world's largest potash producer in 2019 and a top-ten producer of gold, nickel, platinum, iron ore, titanium, niobium, sulphur, molybdenum and cobalt.
Federal coal mining regulations (SOR/90-97) require a qualified person to measure air quantity, flammable gas and carbon monoxide on any roadway where a diesel engine runs, at least once every seven days.
Where flammable gas exceeds 0.8 percent near electrical equipment or diesel engines the area must be tested at least every eight hours, and a methanometer alarm is required at longwall faces where gas may reach 1.25 percent.
“Ex-proof” is shorthand for equipment carrying an explosion-protection marking (the Ex mark) that matches the area it enters. The marking states the protection concept, gas or dust group and temperature class, and it must be backed by a certificate issued by a recognised body, so a phone described as Ex-proof should come with a certificate number you can check.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to carry the marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. That is a target: certification is in progress, no certificate has been issued, and SAMS will publish the certificate numbers when they exist.
In Canadian mining regions. A marking check underground would compare the equipment marking with the hazard the mine has classified, and surface fuel storage may call for a gas-group check. The IS-04Z1 targets II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, which is a surface gas marking. Underground mining may need separate evaluation, so ask the mine before assuming suitability.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Canadian mining regions yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. It becomes a marking only when the certificate is issued; until then it is a design target.
Likely candidates are underground mine workings, ore processing plants, fuel storage, explosives storage. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Canadian mining regions.
Only if certified for the relevant area and permitted by the mine's rules; the federal regulations focus on gas detection, electrical equipment and ventilation, and each mine adds its own policy. Confirm with the mine manager and ask for the approved device list.
Cold winters, remote locations and long supply routes are typical, so batteries, spares and servicing need planning. Ask the mine about winter handling guidance and the temperature class they require for classified areas.
Not automatically. The IS-04Z1 target marking, II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, is a gas-atmosphere marking. Underground equipment generally has to suit the mine's hazard classification and may need approval by the mine's own electrical or safety department. Ask the individual operator what it accepts before assuming suitability.
Other guides for Canada Mining Operations, other places in Canada, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.