Ireland: who works there
Vermilion Energy became operator of the Corrib project in 2018 and the majority owner in 2021, so contractor induction and device approval at Bellanaboy follow that operator's procedures.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, aimed at the solvent suites and powder rooms of the Irish pharmaceutical cluster, and at the refinery, gas terminal and alumina plant that make up the rest. Moneypoint on the Shannon estuary, commissioned 1985-1987 and Ireland's largest power station at 915 MW, stopped burning coal in June 2025 and is due to run as a heavy-oil back-up plant until 2029. An explosion proof smartphone distributor in Ireland would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Ireland 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Ireland: Little Island and Carrigaline, Shannon Estuary, Grange Castle and Clondalkin | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Ireland. 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 Ireland market guide covers.
Vermilion Energy became operator of the Corrib project in 2018 and the majority owner in 2021, so contractor induction and device approval at Bellanaboy follow that operator's procedures.
Directive 2014/34/EU replaced the earlier 94/9/EC equipment directive and became mandatory for manufacturers on 20 April 2016, so older Ex devices may carry earlier markings.
The Corrib field was discovered in 1996 and was the first reported commercial gas discovery in Ireland since the Kinsale Head field in 1971, which shows how few upstream gas sites exist.
Under Directive 1999/92/EC employers must classify areas where explosive atmospheres may occur into zones, with the size and location depending on likelihood and persistence, so every Irish site has its own zoning document.
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In Ireland. In an Irish plant explosion-proof is a loose phrase. Solvent suites and powder rooms use different concepts from the Whitegate refinery or the Bellanaboy gas terminal. Flameproof Ex d suits some fixed equipment, while a handset used across rooms is better matched by intrinsic safety, which is how the IS-04Z1 is designed.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Ireland. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
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.
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
The market guide for Ireland covers Ringaskiddy, Whitegate, Little Island and Carrigaline, Shannon Estuary, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
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 Ireland.
Atlantic coastal sites are often wet, windy and salt-laden, which stresses seals and charging contacts. Check the water ingress rating, the lowest ambient temperature on the certificate and whether the touchscreen works with wet gloves. Spare batteries are worthwhile for long outdoor shifts.
Ireland is an EU member, so ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU applies to equipment and Directive 1999/92/EC to workplace zoning. Zone 1 and Zone 2 devices should carry CE and Ex markings. Individual plants typically add their own permit-to-work and equipment registration processes.
ATEX is the usual reference in the EU and is applied in Ireland through national regulations. Multinational sites may also ask for IECEx. Ask the operator which evidence it requires, and check the certification status, as the IS-04Z1 certification programme is still in progress.
Related guides for Ireland and for Ireland.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.