Personal scheme for global Ex certification is launched

02 December 2008

Safety professionals can now be certified internationally so their Ex skills can be recognised globally, removing international boundaries. IECEx, the IEC system for certification to standards relating to equipment for use in explosive atmospheres, is introducing the world’s first international scheme for the certification of persons associated with equipment, installations and servicing used by Ex industries such as oil and gas, coal mining and chemical plants.

The new IECEx Certified Persons Scheme will provide the global Ex industries with a single system for the assessment and qualification of persons meeting the competency prerequisites needed to properly implement the safety requirements based on the suite of international standards described as IEC 60079 and IEC 61241, which cover explosive atmospheres in gaseous and dust environments respectively.

With the launch, organisations and companies will be able to check the IECEx website and its online certificate system for a list of internationally-qualified persons for the various activities associated with the safe use of equipment in areas where the risk of fire and explosion is present.

While a major benefit to companies that rely on specialised Ex expertise, this scheme also provides individuals, be they employees, contractors or consultants, with a single international system for the recognition of their expertise, capability and competence in the highly-specialised Ex field, without the need to continually prove said qualifications.

This new IECEx service has already received the support of experts from major players in the Ex industries, including TOTAL, Petronas, Petrobras, Shell Brunei and others, from the oil and gas sector alone. In addition, strong support has also been received from the coal-mining sector and industries associated with combustible dust installations such as the sugar refining and grain industries.

An IECEx statement suggested that the Ex related industries, operating in the globally arena, will now have 'international transportability of personnel qualifications across borders'.