Estuary location
The terminals are on the Thames estuary in Essex, not inside Greater London, so site access involves road transfers from the capital.
London is Europe's largest city economy and one of the world's major financial centres, so many suppliers, consultancies and head offices that approve equipment are based there. Gas network and utility sites add smaller classified areas. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof mobile phone for London and the Thames, 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 London and the Thames: 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. 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 | London and the Thames: Fuel storage terminals, Marine jetties, Road tanker loading | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in London. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
The terminals are on the Thames estuary in Essex, not inside Greater London, so site access involves road transfers from the capital.
The former Coryton refinery, which stopped refining in 2012 after Petroplus collapsed, became a fuel import terminal. Greenergy holds two thirds and Shell one third after Greenergy bought Vopak's share.
The Port of London Authority has jurisdiction on the tidal Thames, and the London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for Greater London, so riverside and fire-safety rules involve separate bodies.
The Thames is tidal and London is vulnerable to flooding, a risk that has grown with rising high-water levels, which affects riverside and low-lying industrial sites.
The Port of London covers the tidal Thames from Teddington Lock to a boundary line out in the North Sea, is governed by the Port of London Authority (a public trust since 1908), and was the UK's largest port in 2020.
London stands on the River Thames at the head of a 50 mile tidal estuary down to the North Sea, with 9.14 million residents in 2025 and a metropolitan area of 15.4 million.
“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 London and the Thames. A marking check at the Thames terminals would compare each loading rack, jetty and tank farm zone with the label on the device. Petroleum products and chemicals at West Thurrock may involve differing gas groups, so IIC marking offers margin. The IS-04Z1 target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, pending certification; operators confirm suitability.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined 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.
Likely candidates are fuel storage terminals, marine jetties, road tanker loading, gas network sites. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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.
A temperate oceanic climate means mild temperatures but frequent light rain, on about 110 days a year. Typically devices used outdoors need good water ingress protection and users check ratings against site conditions, especially on the tidal Thames.
Deliveries typically arrive by road or air, and the congested metropolitan area calls for scheduled slots and extra time. Confirm customs treatment for imported electronics and any site access or gate checks with the client.
The terminals are in Essex, so crews and equipment normally travel by road from the capital, and site access follows each operator's induction and permit rules. Plan time for sign-in, safe-area handover and device checks. Confirm the current access arrangements with the terminal operator.
Related guides for London and for United Kingdom.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.