ATEX & IECEx Training and Personnel Competency

As markets are becoming increasingly globalised and safety requirements also become more and more complex, internationally operating companies are dependent on trained safety experts.

This applies particularly to the oil & gas, chemicals and pharmaceutical industry, which is dependent on experts from the international labour market, including safety specialists. It is also a problem faced by operating companies and the local managers of potentially explosive installations, as well traders, technicians, fitters, installers and designers. Inspectors and safety experts are particularly affected of course, but the situation is also true for shipping agents and site managers under certain circumstances. This applies in segments of industry that are not necessarily associated with ignition sources and potentially explosive atmospheres, such as storage and transport of grain and foodstuffs.

In recent years, tragic accidents, which have attracted international attention, have led to a very strong increase in public awareness of industrial safety and also of environment protection. International companies are in charge of a high responsibility and are therefore heavily dependent on safety experts. Such safety experts need to be deployed and recognized internationally. Companies therefore face the following problems:

• Lack of national or international comparability of the training or professional development of experts.
• Lack of evidence of the quality of training of such experts.
• Lack of reliable evidence of training and qualifications.
• Outside of Europe, managers have difficulty assessing the training that experts have received.

Companies facing the problems of explosion protection want an international scheme for the certification of persons who are familiar with the safety problems related to explosion protection. National and international standards, which define safety requirements for installations and the classification of potentially explosive atmospheres, require experts to deal with such issues demonstrating suitable qualifications. The required competencies must also be continuously updated to reflect the current state of the art.

To solve this problem, international authorities have developed a certification standard to ensure that the qualifications of technical experts can be compared: IECEx Scheme for Certification of Personnel Competence (CoPC)

After ensuring related training, experience and education criteria according to the scheme, the candidate selects the subject area based on the competence units, which are listed in several IECEx Operational Documents, especially the OD 504 specifying the knowledge level for the specific Ex units 001 to 010. Furthermore, the standardization committee IEC/TC 31 “Explosive Atmospheres” has established a project team to prepare the new standard IEC TS 60079-44 “Personal Competence” to be published in 2021.

The examination consists of two main parts. A theoretical exam and a practical exam. The theoretical exam can be carried out in an examination room at the computer or traditionally with questionnaires to be completed instead. First, the candidate answers multiple-choice questions based on his or her experience and training. The candidate then has to answer a certain number of technical questions in short sentences. These are then assessed by a team of assessors, who supervise the candidate. After successfully passing the theoretical exam, the candidate must demonstrate his or her knowledge in a practical exam. This can be done in a laboratory using prepared test samples or by virtual examinations and computer simulations.

The subject area for the exams is defined in the IECEx Operational Documents. The examination units consist of the following modules:

Unit Ex 000 - Basic knowledge and awareness for entering potentially explosive atmospheres
Unit Ex 001 - Basic principles of protection in potentially explosive atmospheres
Unit Ex 002 - Zoning / classification of hazardous areas
Unit Ex 003 - Installation of explosion-proof devices, including wiring
Unit Ex 004 - Maintenance of explosion-proof equipment
Unit Ex 005 - Repair and overhaul of explosion-proof equipment
Unit Ex 006 - Measurement and testing of electrical installations in explosive atmospheres
Unit Ex 007 - Visual and close-up inspection of explosion-proof equipment and installations
Unit Ex 008 - Detailed testing of explosion-proof devices and installations.
Unit Ex 009 - Design & planning electrical systems in explosion-proof areas
Unit Ex 010 - Auditing and testing electrical installations in explosive atmospheres

If necessary, requirements of the American National Electrical Code (NEC) or the European ATEX Directive can also be covered and examined. The first two modules (modules 1 and 2) only require basic knowledge. These first two modules are therefore not only suitable for candidates who deal with the issues and requirements of explosion protection on a daily basis, but also for managers and sales personnel who have to make decisions for processes and/or procedures for installation or operations with potentially explosive atmospheres. The focus for sales representatives can be specifically on product certification systems. It is very common for manufacturers to have developed and designed systems or equipment for the European market e.g., complying with the ATEX Directive. Later on, this product has to meet also the requirements for the North American market. It is a great advantage in such cases to know in advance what components need to be replaced and whether modification would be reasonable.

Once the candidate has passed the examination, the candidate receives a certificate and an ID card, listing the modules that the candidate has successfully passed together with any limitations. This certificate is valid for five years. After five years, a further examination must be completed for the certificate to remain valid and so that the candidate can demonstrate that his or her training is up to date with the state of the art.

Normetic has tied with international operating IECEx certification bodies (ExCB) to provide a qualification of the competence of experts for explosive atmospheres. This service has been developed by members of the IECEx Committee. The aim of this service is to offer support for candidates who wish to undergo such an examination with a certificate listing their specific qualifications and thereby making them suitable for national or international employment in their field of competence. This is required by manufacturers and end users, who face issues of explosion protection, within the context of the increasing globalisation of labour markets. One advantage of Normetic is its local presence and connections between European and Middle Eastern countries.

To know more about trainings and certification of competency for explosive atmospheres, you can get in touch with us.