New Zealand: rules and approvals
AS/NZS 60079 is the Australia and New Zealand adoption of the IEC 60079 series, covering classification, selection, installation, inspection and repair of electrical equipment in explosive atmospheres.
New Zealand · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Cell Phone Distributor in New Zealand
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in New Zealand every shift: Taranaki gas-field operators, methanol and fertiliser plant crews, dairy-processing engineers managing milk-powder dust risk, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. Hazardous-area inspections are done by suitably registered inspectors working to AS/NZS 60079.17 and AS/NZS 3000, with a verification dossier and records kept, so documents for any device should be easy to supply. Distribution partners for New Zealand are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch 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 topicintrinsically safe
DeviceCell Phone
RouteDistribution
WhereNew Zealand
Short answer. New Zealand 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe cell phone for New Zealand
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | New Zealand: Taranaki, Motunui / Waitara Valley, Kapuni | Classified by the site operator |
Product · New Zealand
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 New Zealand. 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 · New Zealand
Where this applies in New Zealand
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS New Zealand market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Methanex
- Methanol production at Motunui, Taranaki; the Waitara Valley plant has been idle since 2021
- Todd Energy
- Upstream gas and condensate production in the Taranaki basin
- OMV New Zealand
- Operator of Maui, Pohokura and other Taranaki offshore and onshore fields
- Ballance Agri-Nutrients
- Urea and ammonia production at Kapuni, Taranaki
- Fonterra
- The world’s largest dairy exporter — milk-powder drying and processing nationwide
- Channel Infrastructure
- Operator of the former Marsden Point refinery, now a fuel import terminal
Industrial areas and sites
- Taranaki
- New Zealand’s principal oil, gas and petrochemical region
- Motunui / Waitara Valley
- Methanex methanol production complexes
- Kapuni
- Gas field and Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser plant
- Marsden Point
- Former refinery, now Channel Infrastructure’s import terminal, Northland
- Dairy processing sites nationwide
- Fonterra and other processors’ milk-powder drying towers and storage
Field notes · New Zealand
More about New Zealand that matters for portable equipment
New Zealand: background
The Alpha well drilled at New Plymouth in 1865 was the first oil well in the Commonwealth; later gas from Kapuni (1970) and Maui (1978) supported large gas-based industrial plants.
New Zealand: infrastructure
Ahuroa Gas Storage Facility is the country's only underground gas storage site, so compressor, wellhead and storage-related classified areas are concentrated in a small number of places.
New Zealand: infrastructure
About 2,600 km of high-pressure gas transmission pipeline runs in the North Island, led by the 307 km Maui pipeline carrying 78% of production; there is no gas transmission in the South Island.
The term · intrinsically safe
What “intrinsically safe” means for a smartphone
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In New Zealand. A plant round at Kapuni or Motunui, or a shift through a milk-powder drying and storage area, is a full working day with no recharge point inside the hazard zone. An intrinsically safe handheld lets the same device record readings, take photographs and run a work-order app, from the control room to the tower.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in New Zealand
A distributor for New Zealand would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
What SAMS looks for in a partner
- Operator relationships
- Existing supplier registrations or a clear route to them with the main operators and contractors in New Zealand.
- Ex-competent staff
- People who understand zone classification, markings and the conditions of a certificate.
And equally important
- Local-language support
- Documentation, training and helpdesk in the languages the workforce uses.
- Service capability
- Spares, battery replacement and repair routed through SAMS-approved channels.
Questions · New Zealand
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe cell phone in New Zealand today?
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.
What does an intrinsically safe cell phone in New Zealand cost?
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.
What does ‘intrinsically safe’ mean for the IS-04Z1?
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
Which sites in New Zealand does this cover?
The market guide for New Zealand covers Taranaki, Motunui / Waitara Valley, Kapuni, Marsden Point, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How do I become a SAMS distributor for New Zealand?
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 New Zealand.
Which standard governs Ex equipment selection in New Zealand?
Electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres is generally selected and inspected to AS/NZS 60079, the local adoption of the IEC 60079 series, alongside AS/NZS 3000 for installations. IECEx certificates are widely accepted as evidence, but confirm the exact requirement with the site operator or your inspector.
What records does a hazardous-area inspection in New Zealand expect for a handheld device?
Inspectors typically look for equipment marking suited to the zone, the certificate or verification dossier, and a record of inspection under AS/NZS 60079.17. Keep the certificate number, marking photo and any manufacturer instructions with the asset register entry.
Will the 4,000 mAh battery last a full shift?
The battery is sized for a working day of plant rounds, but real life depends on use of camera, GNSS and radio. There is no recharge point inside a classified area, so plan to charge in a safe area. Test the device on your own round before relying on it.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on New Zealand, and on other places in New Zealand.
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
New Zealand market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for New ZealandEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · New Zealand
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for New Zealand
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 · New Zealand
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for New Zealand?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.