Cold-climate working
Winters in much of mining Canada are cold enough that battery performance, glove use on touchscreens and condensation are practical concerns.
Mining contributed about 7.9 percent of Canada's GDP in 2021, roughly 156.5 billion Canadian dollars, split across extraction, services and manufacturing. Underground workings, processing plants and fuel and explosives stores are the typical classified or controlled areas. A hazardous area mobile phone distributor in Canadian mining regions would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Canadian mining regions 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| 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 | Canadian mining regions: Fuel storage, Explosives storage, Underground mine workings | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Canada Mining Operations. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
Winters in much of mining Canada are cold enough that battery performance, glove use on touchscreens and condensation are practical concerns.
Mine safety is regulated province by province; in Ontario, for example, Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act includes a part on electrical equipment.
Underground diesel engines must have exhaust sampled at least monthly, and an engine is removed from service if exhaust carbon monoxide exceeds 2,000 ppm, a reminder of how closely air quality is controlled in coal mines.
Industrial-scale mining began in the 18th century, with an iron mine at Forges du Saint-Maurice (1738 to 1883) and copper at Bruce Mines, Ontario from 1848, so many sites are old and complex.
Canada was the world's largest potash producer in 2019 and a top-ten producer of gold, nickel, platinum, iron ore, titanium, niobium, sulphur, molybdenum and cobalt.
Federal coal mining regulations (SOR/90-97) require a qualified person to measure air quantity, flammable gas and carbon monoxide on any roadway where a diesel engine runs, at least once every seven days.
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 Canadian mining regions. Typical controlled areas are underground workings, ore processing plants, fuel storage and explosives storage. Classification is carried out by the mine operator under provincial rules, such as Ontario Regulation 854 for mines and mining plants. SAMS does not classify areas, and a specifier should ask the mine for its own hazard assessment.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Canadian mining regions yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
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.
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.
Likely candidates are underground mine workings, ore processing plants, fuel storage, explosives storage. 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 Canadian mining regions.
Only if certified for the relevant area and permitted by the mine's rules; the federal regulations focus on gas detection, electrical equipment and ventilation, and each mine adds its own policy. Confirm with the mine manager and ask for the approved device list.
Cold winters, remote locations and long supply routes are typical, so batteries, spares and servicing need planning. Ask the mine about winter handling guidance and the temperature class they require for classified areas.
Not automatically. The IS-04Z1 target marking, II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, is a gas-atmosphere marking. Underground equipment generally has to suit the mine's hazard classification and may need approval by the mine's own electrical or safety department. Ask the individual operator what it accepts before assuming suitability.
Related guides for Canada Mining Operations and for Canada.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.