Weather, not dust
IP68 sealing is aimed at rain and snow on tank-top and rack walks. Cold affects batteries on any device, so winter performance should be tested in evaluation.
Switzerland · Fuel Refining, Storage and Logistics
Explosion proof mobile phone for Fuel Refining, Storage and Logistics in Switzerland
Switzerland has one refinery, a handful of large tank farms on the Rhine and a network of depots, and a large share of the country's fuel passes through them. This page is for the HSE and operations teams at these sites who need an explosion proof mobile phone in Switzerland. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 and is still in certification. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · certification programme in progress
Local approvalVGSEB · ATEX through the MRASwiss VGSEB aligned to ATEX 2014/34/EU · in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
The sector · Refining, storage and logistics
Explosion proof mobile phone use at Swiss refining and fuel storage sites
Fuel handling in Switzerland is concentrated in a few places. Cressier, on the Neuchatel plain, is the country's only refinery and is owned by Varo Energy, with a product terminal alongside. The Rhine ports at Birsfelden and Muttenz near Basel hold tank storage and bulk transfer, serving imports by barge. West of Geneva, depots at Vernier supply the city and its airport. Between them, pipelines, rail and road tankers move product, and Swiss compulsory stock rules mean that much of what is held in tanks is reserve rather than throughput. Gas atmospheres are the real issue: gasoline and light products are typically in gas group IIA, hydrogen in refinery units is IIC, and the main areas are process units, tank farms, loading racks and pump stations, mostly outdoors. Dust is less central than on the pharmaceutical pages, and honestly limited to catalyst handling and similar tasks. What distinguishes these sites is outdoor weather, large footprints, and a heavy contractor presence at turnaround.
Sites and operators
- Varo Energy, Cressier
- The only refinery in Switzerland, with its product terminal.
- Rhine ports
- Tank storage and bulk transfer at Birsfelden and Muttenz near Basel.
- Vernier depots
- Petroleum storage and pipeline connections west of Geneva.
- Petrostock
- Fuel storage operator at Vernier serving Geneva and its airport.
- Road and rail loading
- Tanker loading racks and rail connections at refinery and depots.
- Turnaround contractors
- Large outside workforces come on site for planned shutdowns.
Classified situations
- Process units
- Hydrocarbon gas and liquid in distillation, conversion and treatment.
- Hydrogen systems
- Group IIC atmospheres in hydrogen-using units.
- Tank farms and bunds
- Floating-roof and fixed-roof tanks with vent zones.
- Loading racks
- Gasoline vapour at tanker loading and unloading.
- Pump stations and manifolds
- Seals and flanges as leak points.
- Laboratories and control rooms
- Safe areas, with sampling points in the plant.
Built for the work
What outdoor fuel sites ask of a handset
Fuel sites are large, outdoor and heavily regulated. These are the practical questions an operator raises.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Distances between safe areas
Tank farms and pipe racks are long walks from a charger. The 4,000 mAh battery is specified to cover a shift.
One device for photographs and positions
Four-constellation GNSS gives a coordinate for a leak or fault, and the 50 MP camera records it.
Visitors and drivers on the same fence
Terminals receive a steady stream of tanker drivers and visiting contractors, who arrive under the site's induction rules. A site-issued handset enrolled in the operator's MDM keeps its own staff on an approved device and leaves visitor rules to the gate, which is where they belong. The same logic holds on a barge berth at a Rhine port.
Control of who carries what
At a site with hundreds of visiting drivers and contractors, the handset can be enrolled in the operator's MDM so that applications and camera use are managed.
Use cases · Fuel
Where the IS-04Z1 goes to work at Swiss fuel sites.
Refining01
Turnaround execution
In a turnaround, hundreds of contractors work through permits and inspections. A managed handset carries permits and photographs inside classified areas.
Storage02
Tank farm rounds
Operators walk tank farms checking levels, valves and bunds, recording findings with a photograph and a position.
Logistics03
Loading rack supervision
A loading rack supervisor deals with drivers, documents and spill checks. One handset carries the camera and the call to the control room.
Questions · Fuel
Frequently asked questions
Who runs the Cressier refinery?
Varo Energy owns and operates it, according to published industry sources. For anything about its contractor or equipment approval process, ask the site's procurement and HSE teams directly.
Which gas group applies at a fuel depot?
Gasoline and most light products are in group IIA, hydrogen is IIC. The IS-04Z1 marking target is IIC, which covers both, but the site's classification governs.
How does Switzerland regulate fuel storage safety?
Through a mix of federal and cantonal rules and the employer's duties. We do not give regulatory advice; ask the site's safety officer.
Does a refinery turnaround change what a handset needs?
Yes. During a planned shutdown the number of people on site rises sharply and most of them are contractors, so permits, isolations and photographs are the busiest uses. Fleet size and MDM enrolment should be planned for the peak, not the normal week.
Can it be used at a loading rack today?
No. Certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
Enquiry · Fuel Refining, Storage and Logistics
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Fuel Refining, Storage and Logistics, Switzerland
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 Switzerland. 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 · Fuel Refining, Storage and Logistics
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.