Canada: rules and approvals
Hazardous locations in Canada fall under Section 18 of the Canadian Electrical Code Part I, which uses the Zone system, while the older Class and Division rules are kept in Annex J for existing installations.
Canada · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in Canada
The IS-04Z1 is an Ex phone for people working inside classified areas at Canadian oil sands plants, gas plants, refineries and offshore platforms. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area mobile phone for Canada, 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
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereCanada
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Canada: 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 mobile phone for Canada
| 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 | Canada: Athabasca oil sands, Cold Lake and the Lakeland, Alberta Industrial Heartland | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Canada
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 Canada. 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 · Canada
Where this applies in Canada
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Canada market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Suncor Energy
- Base Plant, Fort Hills, Sarnia and Edmonton refining
- Cenovus Energy
- Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Lloydminster, offshore Atlantic
- Imperial Oil
- Kearl and Cold Lake, Strathcona and Sarnia refineries
- Canadian Natural Resources
- Horizon and Albian mining, Jackfish and Primrose thermal
- Syncrude
- Mildred Lake mining and upgrading, operated by Suncor
- Shell Canada
- Scotford upgrader, refinery and chemicals in the Heartland
Industrial areas and sites
- Athabasca oil sands
- Fort McMurray mines, upgraders and in situ plants
- Cold Lake and the Lakeland
- Thermal in situ pads and steam generation
- Alberta Industrial Heartland
- Fort Saskatchewan, Scotford and Redwater refining and chemicals
- Montney and Duvernay
- Gas plants around Grande Prairie and Fort St John
- Sarnia Chemical Valley
- Three refineries and dozens of chemical plants
- Kitimat and the north coast
- LNG Canada trains and jetty, Cedar LNG building
Field notes · Canada
More about Canada that matters for portable equipment
Canada: industry on the ground
The Athabasca oil sands in Alberta hold bitumen so viscous that it will not flow unless heated or diluted with lighter hydrocarbons such as condensate, so diluent and heating systems feature heavily at sites.
Canada: rules and approvals
Electrical products for hazardous locations must be certified by a body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, and IECEx or ATEX certificates are not accepted in place of that certification.
Canada: background
The Great Canadian Oil Sands plant, now part of Suncor, opened in 1967, and Fort McMurray's growth took off as further oil sands plants followed after the 1970s energy crises.
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 Canada. Canadian classified areas include the Athabasca oil sands, Cold Lake thermal pads, the Alberta Industrial Heartland, Montney gas plants, Sarnia Chemical Valley, Kitimat, Saint John and Atlantic offshore. Dust matters at sulfur handling, coke and coal transfer, grain terminals and pellet plants. Operators classify these areas, not SAMS.
The route · specification
Specifying a hazardous area mobile phone for Canada
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 · Canada
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area mobile phone in Canada 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 mobile phone in Canada 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 Canada does this cover?
The market guide for Canada covers Athabasca oil sands, Cold Lake and the Lakeland, Alberta Industrial Heartland, Montney and Duvernay, 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.
Does a phone for Canadian oil sands sites need Canadian certification?
Hazardous-location electrical equipment in Canada is generally expected to carry certification from a Standards Council of Canada accredited body, and IECEx or ATEX certificates are not accepted as a substitute, although they can speed the evaluation. Confirm the required marking with the site operator and a Canadian certification body.
How cold-tolerant should devices be for northern Alberta?
Fort McMurray averages about minus 17 degrees Celsius in January and has seen extremes below minus 50, so check the datasheet's operating and charging temperature range, battery behaviour in cold, and glove-friendly controls. Confirm any site cold-weather procedures with the operator before deployment.
Will the battery work on cold winter shifts?
Every battery gives up capacity in the cold, and the 4,000 mAh cell is sized for a normal shift, not extreme cold. Unless a certificate says otherwise, hazardous area equipment is assessed for minus 20 to plus 40 degrees Celsius, and the marked range will be published when the certificate issues. Check it first.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Canada and for Canada.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in CanadaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in CanadaSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier in CanadaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone in CanadaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Supplier in CanadaSame place, different guide
NEC 500 Class I Division 1 Mobile Phone Distributor in CanadaSame place, different guide
Canada market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for CanadaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Canada
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Canada
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Canada
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Canada?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.