The use of competent persons for work in explosive atmospheres

Standards for hazardous locations require the use of appropriate equipment to avoid ignition of the atmosphere. If that special equipment is NOT installed correctly it may no longer provide the explosion protection integrity and therefore cause the installation to be unsafe. The use of competent persons supports the correct use of equipment and assists in maintaining the explosion protection integrity for the life of the equipment. Competent persons are able to identify faults, which could become potential sources of ignition. The Personnel Competencies Scheme is another element of certification to support the Equipment and Service facilities Schemes. This IECEx Certificate of Personnel Competency (CoPC) opens the way for a global scheme to provide consistency in the assessment of competent persons. It is structured to provide separation from any training schemes and therefore gives the highest level of integrity of assessment. This Scheme recognizes that the knowledge and skills could be obtained by any means such as tertiary education, internal company training, external private training, on the job mentoring, etc.