IECEx introduces certification of persons working in Ex environment
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, e.g. oil and gas, coal mining, chemical plants, and so forth.
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 IEC International Standards covering explosive atmospheres, e.g. the IEC 60079 and IEC 61241 series of standards.
This means organisations and companies will be able to simply 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 specialized 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-specialized 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, e.g. sugar and grain industries.
The bottom line for the Ex related industries that operate more and more globally is that they will now have “International Transportability of Personnel Qualifications across borders”.
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