Tranmere supply
Crude oil arrives at Tranmere on the Mersey and travels to Stanlow by pipeline of about 24 km.
Liverpool · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone in Liverpool
Liverpool sits on the Mersey estuary. The Stanlow refinery at Ellesmere Port, on the Manchester Ship Canal, receives crude through the Tranmere Oil Terminal on the Mersey, so Zone 1 areas are found at the refinery, jetties and pipelines around the estuary rather than in the city. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for Liverpool and the Mersey, 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 topicintrinsically safe
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereLiverpool
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Liverpool and the Mersey: 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. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe smartphone for Liverpool and the Mersey
| 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 | Liverpool and the Mersey: Refinery process units at Stanlow, Marine oil terminal jetties, Product pipelines and pump stations | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Liverpool
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 Liverpool. 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 · Liverpool and the Mersey
Working in Liverpool and the Mersey: 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
- EET Fuels (Essar)
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units at Stanlow
- Marine oil terminal jetties
- Product pipelines and pump stations
- Tank farms
Local conditions · Liverpool and the Mersey
Conditions in Liverpool and the Mersey that affect handheld equipment
Stanlow scale
Stanlow has been owned by Essar since 2011, was renamed EET Fuels in January 2024, and is reported at about 296,000 barrels a day.
Field notes · Liverpool and the Mersey
More about Liverpool and the Mersey that matters for portable equipment
Liverpool and the Mersey: climate and equipment wear
The city has a temperate maritime climate with mild summers, cool winters and rainfall spread fairly evenly through the year, with a record low of minus 17.6 degrees Celsius in December 2010.
Liverpool and the Mersey: geography and layout
Liverpool lies on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary near the Irish Sea, 286 km north-west of London, with 507,915 residents in 2025 and a City Region population over 1.5 million.
Liverpool and the Mersey: rules and approvals
In 2023 the UK government designated Liverpool a Freeport to encourage international commerce, which affects customs handling and site development around the port.
Liverpool and the Mersey: who works there
Liverpool hosts UK offices of shipping lines including Atlantic Container Line, Bibby Line, Hapag-Lloyd, Irish Ferries and Maersk, so marine buyers and technical managers are close together.
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 Liverpool and the Mersey. Rounds at Stanlow cover process units, tank farms, pump stations and the pipeline from Tranmere, about 24 km long. A handheld designed for intrinsic safety suits operators who log readings and photographs at each stop. Project and turnaround inspection under the decarbonisation programme could add short-term crews who also need to record findings in the area.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe smartphone for Liverpool
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 · Liverpool
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe smartphone in Liverpool 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 intrinsically safe smartphone in Liverpool 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.
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 areas at Liverpool and the Mersey would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units at stanlow, marine oil terminal jetties, product pipelines and pump stations, tank farms. 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.
Does the Freeport status affect equipment imports into Liverpool?
It can change customs processes for goods moved within the Freeport area, but product-safety and radio rules still apply. Confirm treatment of electronic devices with your customs agent and the Freeport operator before shipping.
Are UK explosive-atmosphere rules the same in Liverpool as elsewhere in Britain?
Yes. The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations apply across Great Britain, with HSE as regulator. Port operators and tenants must classify areas and control ignition sources, so ask for the site's hazardous-area register before using electronics.
Where are the hazardous areas near Liverpool?
Mainly at the Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port on the Manchester Ship Canal and at the Tranmere Oil Terminal on the Mersey, which supplies crude to Stanlow by a pipeline of about 24 km. The city itself is not the classified site. Check zone details with the operator.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Liverpool, other places in United Kingdom, and the pages behind them.
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in LiverpoolSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in LiverpoolSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in LiverpoolSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in LiverpoolSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in LiverpoolSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone in LiverpoolSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in EdinburghElsewhere in United Kingdom
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in CardiffElsewhere in United Kingdom
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in ScotlandElsewhere in United Kingdom
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in LondonElsewhere in United Kingdom
United Kingdom market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for United KingdomEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Liverpool and the Mersey
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Liverpool and the Mersey, United Kingdom
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · Liverpool and the Mersey
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Liverpool?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.