Cold-climate working
Winters in much of mining Canada are cold enough that battery performance, glove use on touchscreens and condensation are practical concerns.
Canada Mining Operations · IECEx
IECEx Mobile Phone in Canada Mining Operations
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. Underground workings, processing plants and fuel and explosives stores are the typical classified or controlled areas. If you are specifying an IECEx mobile phone for Canadian mining regions, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
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 topicIECEx
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereCanada Mining Operations
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Canadian mining regions: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx mobile phone for Canadian mining regions
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| Where it applies | Canadian mining regions: Underground mine workings, Ore processing plants, Fuel storage | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Canada Mining Operations
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 Mining Operations. 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 site · Canadian mining regions
Working in Canadian mining regions: operators and classified areas
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
Operators and companies on site
- Vale (Sudbury Basin)
Classified areas to expect
- Underground mine workings
- Ore processing plants
- Fuel storage
- Explosives storage
Local conditions · Canadian mining regions
What Canadian mining regions means for portable equipment
Provincial regulation
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.
Field notes · Canadian mining regions
More about Canadian mining regions that matters for portable equipment
Canadian mining regions: who works there
Over half of the world's publicly listed exploration and mining companies were headquartered in Canada in 2013, and Toronto handles about 80 percent of global mining equity trades.
Canadian mining regions: rules and approvals
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.
Canadian mining regions: projects and investment
Mining contributed about 7.9 percent of Canada's GDP in 2021, roughly 156.5 billion Canadian dollars, split across extraction, services and manufacturing.
Canadian mining regions: background
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.
The term · IECEx
What “IECEx” means for a smartphone
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In Canadian mining regions. Mining in Canada is regulated province by province, and visiting contractors, vendors and international mining groups may bring IECEx documentation with them. A certificate of conformity and schedule of conditions would be the reference documents. The IS-04Z1 is being prepared for the IECEx route, with certification in progress and nothing yet issued.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx mobile phone for Canada Mining Operations
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 Mining Operations
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx mobile phone in Canada Mining Operations 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 an IECEx mobile phone in Canada Mining Operations cost?
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.
Does the IS-04Z1 hold an IECEx certificate?
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Which areas at Canadian mining regions would use 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.
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.
Who regulates mine safety in Canada?
Mining is mostly provincial, so each province enforces its own occupational health and safety rules; federal regulations such as the coal mining ones apply to federal jurisdictions. Confirm which authority and which Ex marking scheme the mine accepts.
Which Canadian mines have gas hazards requiring Ex equipment?
Underground coal mines are the clearest case because methane is a flammable gas. Some hard-rock operations have fuel stores, explosives areas or battery charging bays that are classified, so confirm with the mine's hazard assessment which areas need certified devices.
Who regulates equipment in a Canadian mine?
Mine safety is regulated province by province. Ontario, for example, has Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, with a part on electrical equipment. Other provinces have their own rules, and each mine may add requirements. Check the applicable provincial regulation and the operator's procedure.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Canada Mining Operations, other places in Canada, and the pages behind them.
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in Canada Mining OperationsSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in Canada Mining OperationsSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Canada Mining OperationsSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in Canada Mining OperationsSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in Canada Mining OperationsSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in Canada Mining OperationsSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in LloydminsterElsewhere in Canada
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Fort McMurrayElsewhere in Canada
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Saint John RefineryElsewhere in Canada
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Canada Oil SandsElsewhere in Canada
Canada market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for CanadaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Canadian mining regions
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Canadian mining regions, Canada
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · Canadian mining regions
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Canada Mining Operations?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.