Solvents across the gas groups
Ethanol, acetone, isopropanol and toluene fall in lower groups than IIC, and hydrogen falls in IIC. The IS-04Z1 marking target of II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 is designed to cover the whole list with one device.
Ireland · Pharmaceuticals and Biopharma
Explosion proof mobile phone for Pharmaceuticals and Biopharma in Ireland
Ireland's pharmaceutical cluster is spread across Cork Harbour, west Dublin and a string of inland sites, and it mixes solvent chemistry, powder processing and aqueous biologics in the same industry. This page is for the EHS, engineering and quality teams who need an explosion proof mobile phone for pharmaceutical and biopharma sites in Ireland. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 and is being certified ahead of its Q4 2026 launch. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · certification programme in progress
Local approvalATEXATEX 2014/34/EU · S.I. No. 230 of 2017 · in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
The sector · Cork, Dublin and inland sites
Where pharma and biopharma sites are classified
Cork Harbour has pharmaceutical plants at Ringaskiddy and Little Island, including Janssen's biologics site at Ringaskiddy, operating since 2005, and a Janssen plant at Little Island that makes bulk active ingredients and dates from 1981. Eli Lilly has made active ingredients at Dunderrow near Kinsale since the late 1970s. MSD has Brinny in Cork and Ballydine in Tipperary, while Pfizer and Takeda have plants at Grange Castle and MSD has a biologics site in Dublin. The hazard sits mostly in the chemical side: solvents in synthesis and recovery, powder in drying and milling, and utilities. Biologics plants are largely aqueous, so their classified areas tend to be solvent stores, alcohol points and the boiler house. The practical point is that you cannot assume a pharmaceutical site is hazardous, or that it is not.
Companies and sites
- Pfizer
- Ringaskiddy, Newbridge, Grange Castle and other Irish sites.
- MSD
- Brinny, Ballydine, Carlow, Dunboyne and Dublin
- Janssen
- Biologics at Ringaskiddy since 2005; active ingredients at Little Island.
- Eli Lilly
- Active ingredient manufacture at Dunderrow near Kinsale.
- Takeda
- Manufacturing sites at Bray and Grange Castle.
- BioMarin and Gilead
- Biologics and manufacturing operations in Cork.
- Contractors
- Engineering, validation and cleanroom specialists across all of these.
Classified units and areas
- Synthesis reactors
- Solvent charging, reaction and transfer.
- Solvent recovery
- Distillation and tank storage.
- Hydrogenation
- Hydrogen use in selected steps, bringing group IIC conditions.
- Dryers, mills and blenders
- Powder handling with dust explosion risk.
- Alcohol sanitisation
- Ethanol and isopropanol in biologics and fill-finish.
- Effluent and thermal oxidisers
- Waste handling that can carry solvent.
- Cleanrooms
- Controlled and usually unclassified.
Built for local conditions
What a pharmaceutical plant does to a handset
Pharmaceutical sites have two gatekeepers: the area classification and the quality system. A handset must pass both.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Cleaning and gowning
Handsets are wiped with alcohol and disinfectants, and gowning rules stop people leaving a suite to charge. IP68, a rugged build and a 4,000 mAh battery specified for a full shift are all aimed at that routine.
Controlled configuration
GMP change control asks for a defined build. Android 16 with Android Enterprise and MDM allows camera, location and applications to be fixed and recorded.
Contractor-heavy shutdowns
Maintenance windows at API plants bring many contractors. Restricted profiles keep them to the permit and reporting tools.
Evidence for the explosion protection document
Under Part 8 of the 2007 General Application Regulations the employer names the equipment chosen for each zone. For a pharmaceutical site that document sits beside the GMP files, so the datasheet, marking and instructions need to be supplied in a form both teams can file once certification is complete.
Campuses and satellite sites
Cork Harbour and Grange Castle are large campuses. Four-constellation GNSS and a 50 MP camera help report defects in the right place.
Use cases · Pharma and biopharma
Where the IS-04Z1 would go to work.
API01
Solvent suites
Operators charging and transferring solvent need a handset that is allowed into Zone 1 and survives alcohol wipes.
Solid dose02
Powder rooms
Milling and blending areas call for Zone 21 equipment, and the same handset then goes to the neighbouring solvent area.
Biologics03
Utilities and solvent stores
A biologics site has few classified areas, but the ones it has, such as boiler houses and solvent stores, are where an on-call engineer must carry an approved phone.
Questions · Pharma and biopharma
Explosion proof mobile phone questions for Ireland
Are all pharmaceutical plants hazardous areas?
No. Cleanrooms are controlled for contamination, not explosion. Solvent and powder areas are classified, and the site's classification drawing decides which.
Does hydrogen need a different handset?
Hydrogen is in group IIC. The IS-04Z1 is designed to that group, so it is covered, though the site decides which areas are classified.
Where are the company-specific pages?
Site-level detail for two of the largest operators is on the pages for an explosion proof phone for Pfizer and an explosion proof phone for MSD in Ireland.
Is the IS-04Z1 available for trial?
Not in a classified area before certification exists. It is pre-launch and certification is in progress. A desktop review of the datasheet, the proposed configuration and the cleaning guidance can start now, which is usually the longest part of a pharmaceutical qualification anyway.
Enquiry · Pharmaceuticals and Biopharma
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Pharmaceuticals and Biopharma, Ireland
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 Ireland. 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 · Pharmaceuticals and Biopharma
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.