Hot humid climate
Heat, humidity and coastal salt are normal.
Rio was founded in 1565, became seat of the Portuguese court in 1808 and stands on Guanabara Bay, with the Rio-Niteroi Bridge a landmark route to the Niteroi side of the bay. Hazardous-area work in the surrounding state is at refineries, terminals and shipyards in neighbouring municipalities such as Duque de Caxias, Angra dos Reis, Itaborai and Niteroi. Distribution partners for Rio de Janeiro are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Rio de Janeiro 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.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Rio de Janeiro: Tank terminals, Offshore support bases, Refinery process units (Duque de Caxias) | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Rio de Janeiro. 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.
Heat, humidity and coastal salt are normal.
Petrobras' headquarters is in downtown Rio, which concentrates decision-making and many service companies.
Galeao International Airport lies on Governador Island in Guanabara Bay, while Santos Dumont Airport is the city's second airport, so equipment and visitors can arrive at two separate airfields.
The Port of Rio de Janeiro is the third-busiest in Brazil, with a 6.7 km pier, 31 berths and drafts of 10 to 15 metres, and it handles petrochemicals among its cargoes, with road and rail access.
Rio has the second-largest municipal GDP in Brazil and is home to the headquarters of major oil, mining and telecommunications companies, including Petrobras and Vale, concentrating decision-makers in one city.
Petrobras has its headquarters in downtown Rio de Janeiro, which is why many supplier registrations, tender offices and engineering teams for the whole Brazilian oil sector are in the city.
“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 Rio de Janeiro. Rio itself is not a plant, so explosion-proof applies at the refineries, shipyards, tank terminals and offshore support bases in neighbouring municipalities. Fixed gear may be flameproof Ex d, and a portable handset relies on intrinsic safety. The IS-04Z1 is designed for the latter, pending certification.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Rio de Janeiro. 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.
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.
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.
Likely candidates are refinery process units (duque de caxias), shipyards and fpso yards, tank terminals, offshore support bases. 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 Rio de Janeiro.
Petrobras' headquarters and many engineering and procurement offices are there, so supplier registration, technical approvals and tender contacts are usually handled in the city. Confirm the current registration route with Petrobras or the lead contractor.
The headline pre-salt discoveries sit roughly 300 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in the Santos Basin, so crews and cargo normally move through coastal bases and helicopter operations. Confirm the route with the operator.
Not for ordinary office or headquarters use, because the city itself is not a plant. You would need one for visits to refineries, terminals and shipyards in the surrounding state. Confirm the rules of each operator before travelling.
Other guides for Rio de Janeiro, other places in Brazil, 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.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.