Australia: rules and approvals
An IECEx certificate for an assembly of several items is not automatically accepted unless it is validated against the current AS/NZS 60079.14 or the assembly is independently inspected.
Australia · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Cell Phone in Australia
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews on Australian LNG trains, offshore facilities, processing plants and remote mine sites. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area cell phone for Australia, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topichazardous area
DeviceCell Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereAustralia
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Australia: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · hazardous area
Checklist: hazardous area cell phone for Australia
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Australia: Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula, Onslow, Western Australia, Darwin | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Australia
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Australia. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · Australia
Where this applies in Australia
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Australia market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Woodside Energy
- North West Shelf, Pluto LNG and the Karratha Gas Plant
- Chevron Australia
- Gorgon on Barrow Island and Wheatstone at Onslow
- INPEX
- Ichthys LNG at Darwin and Browse Basin facilities
- Shell Australia
- Prelude FLNG and QCLNG on Curtis Island
- Santos
- GLNG at Gladstone and the Moomba gas plant
- ConocoPhillips and Origin Energy
- Australia Pacific LNG and Surat Basin coal seam gas
Industrial areas and sites
- Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula
- Karratha Gas Plant, Pluto LNG and offshore support
- Onslow, Western Australia
- Wheatstone LNG and the Ashburton North estate
- Darwin
- Ichthys LNG, marine supply base and harbour work
- Gladstone and Curtis Island
- Three LNG trains plus alumina and coal wharves
- Bowen Basin, Queensland
- Coal mining, methane drainage and handling plants
- Pilbara, Western Australia
- Iron ore mines, workshops and bulk fuel handling
Field notes · Australia
More about Australia that matters for portable equipment
Australia: rules and approvals
Australia works on the IECEx scheme and the AS/NZS 60079 series, and the national ANZEx scheme is harmonised with IECEx, so IECEx-certified equipment can be used almost without separate national testing.
Australia: rules and approvals
The Australian Communications and Media Authority regulates the supply of radiocommunications equipment and made rule changes in 2023 to simplify and streamline that regulation.
Australia: rules and approvals
An ATEX marking alone is not automatically accepted, because ATEX is an EU directive that allows self-declaration for some categories, and such equipment usually needs a conformity assessment.
The term · hazardous area
What “hazardous area” means for a smartphone
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Australia. Australian classified areas are large and far apart: LNG trains and offshore support at Karratha, Onslow, Darwin and Gladstone, gas processing at Moomba, and coal handling in the Bowen Basin. Coal dust makes Zone 21 a live classification, while iron ore and alumina are not normally combustible. Operators classify these areas themselves, not SAMS.
The route · specification
Specifying a hazardous area cell phone for Australia
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Australia
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area cell phone in Australia today?
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.
What does a hazardous area cell phone in Australia cost?
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.
Which hazardous areas is the IS-04Z1 designed for?
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Which sites in Australia does this cover?
The market guide for Australia covers Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula, Onslow, Western Australia, Darwin, Gladstone and Curtis Island, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
Do assemblies of certified items need extra checks in Australia?
Often yes. An IECEx certificate for an assembly is not automatically accepted unless validated against the current AS/NZS 60079.14 or the assembly is independently inspected. Ask the site engineer or an inspection body how a packaged or modular system will be treated before shipping.
Is IECEx certification accepted in Australia?
Yes. Australia accepts a current IECEx or ANZEx Certificate of Conformity under the AS/NZS 60079 series, with the gas group and temperature class matching the classified area. ATEX-only equipment is not automatically accepted. Confirm the installation documentation expected for your site with the operator's electrical engineer.
Can the phone be used in underground coal mines?
No: underground coal equipment is Group I, regulated at state level, which is a different regime from the Group II surface certification the IS-04Z1 targets. Surface coal handling with Zone 21 dust, and gas areas at LNG and processing plants, are the intended duty. Check the classification with the mine operator and regulator.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Australia, other places in Australia, and the pages behind them.
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Australia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for AustraliaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Australia
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Australia
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · Australia
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Australia?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.