Industrial Heartland
The area adjoins Alberta's Industrial Heartland, a 582 square kilometre zone dedicated to hydrocarbon processing, so contractors and service firms are close by.
Refinery Row, in Strathcona County east of Edmonton, includes Imperial Oil's Strathcona Refinery and a Suncor refinery. Of the four upgraders that process mined bitumen, Scotford is the only one not integrated with a mine bitumen plant, so it relies on feedstock supplied from elsewhere. If you are specifying a hazardous area smartphone for Edmonton refineries (Refinery Row), this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Edmonton refineries (Refinery Row): pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
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 | Edmonton refineries (Refinery Row): Refinery process units, Crude and product tank farms, Loading racks | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Edmonton Refinery. 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.
The area adjoins Alberta's Industrial Heartland, a 582 square kilometre zone dedicated to hydrocarbon processing, so contractors and service firms are close by.
Edmonton winters are cold enough that battery performance and glove use are practical considerations for outdoor work.
Sturgeon Refinery, originally designed as a bitumen upgrader, also processes in-situ production from Cold Lake, linking the Edmonton area to heavy-oil supply.
Refinery Row, a concentration of refineries in west Sherwood Park just east of Edmonton, includes the Strathcona Refinery (Imperial Oil) and the Suncor Edmonton Refinery.
Alberta's Industrial Heartland covers 533 km2 across Fort Saskatchewan, Lamont, Strathcona and Sturgeon counties, plus the 49 km2 Edmonton Energy and Technology Park, for a total of 582 km2 east of Edmonton.
A second concentration of refineries and upgraders lies around Scotford in Strathcona County, separate from Refinery Row, so the Edmonton area has more than one distinct industrial cluster.
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 Edmonton refineries (Refinery Row). Classified areas at Edmonton's refineries include process units, crude and product tank farms, loading racks and wastewater treatment, where Zone 1 and Zone 2 equipment is required. The refinery operator classifies each area. A specifier should request that documentation from Imperial Oil or Suncor, not from SAMS.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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 refinery process units, crude and product tank farms, loading racks, wastewater treatment. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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.
It is a 582 km2 cluster of refineries, upgraders and chemical plants east of Edmonton across several counties. Because many operators share the area, contractor induction and device rules differ by plant. Confirm site requirements before mobilising.
Typically the operator checks Ex certification marking, gas group and temperature class against the area classification, and may require Canadian recognition of the certificate. Confirm accepted schemes and approvals with the site's electrical authority.
It can be planned for, but turnaround work is run under the operator's permit system, which still controls hot work and entry. An intrinsically safe handheld may support inspection records and photos in classified areas once certified. Confirm with the operator which areas, zones and gas groups apply to each task.
More on Edmonton Refinery, and on other places in 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.