Finland: who works there
Neste was founded in 1948 as the state petrol company and was the third largest Finnish company by revenue in 2021, with the Finnish state holding 35.91% of shares in 2022.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, built for the refinery and polymer plants at Kilpilahti, the metal and chemical parks on the Bothnian coast and the mill and mine sites where a winter round is measured in kilometres. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof mobile phone for Finland, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Finland: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. 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 | Finland: Kilpilahti, Porvoo, Naantali, Kokkola | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Finland. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Finland market guide covers.
Neste was founded in 1948 as the state petrol company and was the third largest Finnish company by revenue in 2021, with the Finnish state holding 35.91% of shares in 2022.
Neste built Finland's first refinery at Naantali in 1957 and the Porvoo refinery at Sköldvik (Kilpilahti) in 1965, so Naantali and Porvoo are the traditional centres of refining.
Finland lacks domestic fossil energy and imports substantial petroleum and natural gas, so refining, fuel terminals and gas-supply sites are mostly import-led rather than field-based.
The industrial sector accounted for 53% of total final energy consumption in 2021, well above the IEA average, so process industry sites strongly shape the demand for classified-area equipment.
“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 Finland. A marking check at a Finnish site would read the gas group, temperature class and equipment category against the area classification. Hydrocarbon and hydrogen service at Kilpilahti may call for a different group than a pulp mill's dust areas. The IS-04Z1 marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4; it is a target, not a granted marking.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
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.
The market guide for Finland covers Kilpilahti, Porvoo, Naantali, Kokkola, Harjavalta, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Finland is an EU member, so ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU applies to equipment placed on the market and employers zone workplaces under Directive 1999/92/EC. Operators usually also apply their own permit and device registration processes. Ask the site safety office for its current list.
Neste built refineries at Naantali in 1957 and at Porvoo, in the Kilpilahti area, in 1965. Fuel terminals and gas-supply sites serve the rest of the country. Individual site rules and current operations should be confirmed with the operator before a visit.
The IS-04Z1 is designed for industrial duty with IP68 sealing, but cold performance of any lithium battery needs testing. Ask for the datasheet's operating temperature range and trial a unit on an actual winter round. Site rules on charging and storage in safe areas still apply.
Related guides for Finland and for Finland.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.