France: rules and approvals
ATEX has two equipment groups, Group I for mining and Group II for surface industries, and CE plus Ex marking lets compliant equipment be sold anywhere in the EU, including France.
France · IECEx
IECEx Smartphone in France
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, aimed at the refineries, chemical platforms and LNG terminals that make up the French Seveso estate. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx smartphone for France, 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 topicIECEx
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereFrance
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for France: 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.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx smartphone for France
| 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 | France: Gonfreville-l'Orcher, Port-Jérôme, Donges | Classified by the site operator |
Product · France
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 France. 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 · France
Where this applies in France
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS France market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- TotalEnergies
- Normandy platform at Gonfreville plus Donges and Feyzin, and the Grandpuits zero-crude platform.
- North Atlantic
- Port-Jérôme-Gravenchon refinery and chemical plant in Normandy since 2025.
- Rhône Énergies
- Operates the Fos-sur-Mer refinery near Marseille since 2024.
- Petroineos
- Lavéra refinery and petrochemical site on the Étang de Berre.
- Arkema
- Specialty chemicals at Jarrie, Pierre-Bénite, Lacq and Carling.
- Air Liquide
- Industrial gas and hydrogen pipeline networks in Normandy and Fos.
Industrial areas and sites
- Gonfreville-l'Orcher
- Normandy refining and petrochemical platform beside Le Havre.
- Port-Jérôme
- Seine valley refinery and chemical site in Seine-Maritime.
- Donges
- Refinery and jetties on the Loire estuary near Saint-Nazaire.
- Montoir-de-Bretagne
- LNG import terminal on the same estuary.
- Feyzin and the Vallée de la Chimie
- Refinery and chemical plants along the Rhône south of Lyon.
- Roussillon and Salaise
- Chemical platform further down the Rhône corridor in Isère.
Field notes · France
More about France that matters for portable equipment
France: geography and layout
Fos-sur-Mer lies about 50 km north-west of Marseille on the Mediterranean coast, west of the Etang de Berre, and hosts a major port development run by the Autonomous Port of Marseille.
France: industry on the ground
Fos-sur-Mer's port includes container terminals and a methane terminal, and its waterside industrial zone attracts steel, chemical and oil industry sites, making it a typical mixed-hazard industrial coast.
France: projects and investment
In 2022 France announced plans to build six new reactors, reversing a 2014 plan to reduce nuclear supply, which points to long-running construction and maintenance work.
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 France. French plateformes at Gonfreville, Fos and Lavéra bring operators together with many contractors, some of them international. For these visitors the IECEx certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions give a common reference. IECEx certification for the IS-04Z1 is in progress, so the documents cannot be cited yet.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx smartphone for France
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 · France
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx smartphone in France 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 smartphone in France 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.
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 sites in France does this cover?
The market guide for France covers Gonfreville-l'Orcher, Port-Jérôme, Donges, Montoir-de-Bretagne, 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.
Should documentation be in French for French industrial sites?
French is generally expected for instructions and safety documentation at French sites, and ATEX user instructions are typically required in the language of the destination country. International operators may also accept English. Ask the site contact which language they require for contractor equipment files.
How do nuclear outages affect device planning in France?
Large reactor outages bring many contractors at once, so site access, induction and equipment registration can be tightly scheduled. Nuclear sites also have conventional hazardous areas, for example for hydrogen and fuel stores, so agree device approval early with the plant's safety office.
Can one device be used across a shared French platform?
Zones and rules are set by the site operator and can differ between units on the same platform. A device would need a marking suitable for each zone it enters. Check the zone plan and permit rules with the platform operator before carrying a handset in.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on France, and on other places in France.
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in FranceSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in FranceSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in FranceSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in FranceSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in FranceSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in FranceSame place, different guide
France market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for FranceEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · France
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for France
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 · France
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for France?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.