Toxic and flammable together
EDC is both toxic and flammable. The handset deals with the ignition side; toxicity stays with Spolana's own gas detection, alarms and emergency procedures, which the device has to work alongside.
Czech Republic · Spolana
Explosion proof mobile phone for Spolana, Neratovice
An explosion proof mobile phone for Spolana has to suit a chemical site with a long history, a small operating team and a mixed set of hazards. Spolana in Neratovice, on the Elbe, is the Czech Republic's PVC producer, part of the Orlen Unipetrol group since 2016. This page is for the HSE officers and engineers deciding what may be carried into its plants in the Czech Republic. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · ATEX certification in progress
Local approvalATEXEU Directive 2014/34/EU · nařízení vlády 116/2016 Sb. · in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
The site · Spolana
Explosion proof mobile phone for Spolana, Neratovice
The Neratovice site dates from 1898, began as a soap and candle works, and grew into a chemical complex through the twentieth century. It now employs more than 700 people, and its products include PVC sold as Neralit, along with sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, oleum and sulphuric acid, and in 2018 a granulated fertiliser was added. Spolana ended its mercury-cell chlorine electrolysis on 30 November 2017 to comply with EU rules, and now buys ethylene dichloride (EDC) for PVC production rather than making its own chlorine. This changes the picture on the country page: chlorine electrolysis is no longer a hazard here, but EDC is a flammable, toxic liquid, vinyl chloride monomer is a flammable gas, and PVC itself is handled as a powder, which brings dust classification into play. Natural-gas boilers replaced the old coal plant. Older descriptions of the site also list caprolactam; confirm the current status of that unit with the company before assuming it.
Operators and contractors
- Spolana
- PVC and inorganic chemical producer at Neratovice.
- Orlen Unipetrol
- Owns the company through its group, since 2016; see explosion proof phone for Orlen Unipetrol.
- Deza
- Separate coal tar processor in Valašské Meziříčí.
- Rail and road hauliers
- Loading of PVC, acids and fertiliser.
- Site maintenance contractors
- Repair and inspection firms working under permit.
Classified units and areas
- EDC and VCM handling
- Flammable and toxic liquids and gases for the PVC process.
- PVC drying and bagging
- Polymer powder handling, a dust classification question.
- Fertiliser granulation
- Granulation and bagging, with its own dust assessment.
- Boiler house and gas supply
- Natural-gas steam boilers and pipework.
- Acid and caustic areas
- Corrosive services that are separate from the Ex question.
Built for a chemical site
What a mixed chemical site asks of a handset
Spolana is not a refinery. Its hazards are smaller in number but more varied, and the people on site know them well.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Gas and dust in one device
The target of II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 plus Zone 21 dust protection sits in a single programme, which matters at a site where powder and gas areas are close together.
A site with several eras of building
Plants extended repeatedly across a century leave classification drawings of mixed vintage. A broadly rated device suits a site that is hard to map exactly.
Wash-down and river air
IP68 sealing is aimed at wash-down and humidity near the Elbe. Certified ambient limits will be on the datasheet.
Czech documents
Instructions and the declaration of conformity are prepared in Czech alongside English.
Use cases · Spolana
Where the IS-04Z1 goes to work.
Operations01
PVC plant rounds
An operator checks reactors, dryers and bagging lines, photographs a leak and reports it from the same device.
Maintenance02
Permit-controlled repairs
A maintenance crew carries the permit, the drawing and the isolation list on a restricted handset, and an outside contractor's device can be wiped when the job closes.
Safety03
Emergency response
A response team attending a gas or liquid release needs a handset that works in the affected area as well as outside it. Spolana's own emergency procedures set the rules for what is carried.
Procurement and access
What suppliers should expect to be asked
No Spolana supplier registration route has been verified for this page. Ask the company and its parent group.
- Procurement and HSE
- They will set the equipment requirements for each plant.
- Certificate
- ATEX certificate and Czech documents; none yet issued for the IS-04Z1.
- Classification
- Zone and gas group are read from the plant's drawings.
- Group context
- Spolana sits within the Unipetrol group; ask whether group-level requirements apply.
Questions · Spolana
Frequently asked questions
Is the IS-04Z1 certified for use at Spolana yet?
No. It is pre-launch and ATEX certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Does Spolana still make chlorine?
Spolana ended mercury-cell chlorine electrolysis in November 2017 and says it now buys EDC for PVC production.
Is PVC powder a dust hazard?
Fine polymer powder can form an explosive dust cloud, and operators classify such areas as dust zones. The classification at each point comes from Spolana's own assessment.
Does a gas rating cover EDC toxicity?
No. Ex certification addresses ignition, while toxicity is handled by the site's detection and emergency procedures.
Enquiry · Spolana
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Spolana, Czech Republic
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for Czech Republic. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Enquiry · Spolana
Launching Q4 2026
Evaluating the IS-04Z1 for this site?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.