Hazardous Area Training
National training, certification and assessment organisation, CompEx, discuss how they make hazardous
areas safer places to work in:
Working in a hazardous environment carries a large number of risks. Legislation and regulations are in place to help manage safe working practises in explosive atmospheres. However, two European Union
Directives, ATEX 95 & 137, address safety where there is a danger from potentially explosive materials and the principle standards in use are the IEC 60079 series.
UK legislation includes the Health and Safety at Work; Electricity at Work; Provision and Use of Workplace
Equipment Regulations; Management of Health and Safety Regulations; Personal Protective Equipment Regulations and the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR).
An employer’s basic duty is to provide a safe workplace, while the employees’ duty is to exercise diligence
and care while undertaking allotted tasks and not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with, or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.
All the directives and legislation require that safe working practices are followed and employers must also
complete a risk assessment to qualify this. For explosive atmospheres, the risk assessment includes a comprehensive survey of the site followed by preparation of drawings to indicate the potential risk from explosive atmospheres anywhere on site.
This area classification drawing enables the proper selection and installation of systems and equipment
that will help avoid the creation of incentive sparking and therefore prevent the ignition of potentially explosive gases and dust clouds.
Where personnel carry out work in hazardous areas without appropriate training, the repercussions could be immense - health and safety should always be the number one priority. One of the most certain routes to
providing safe working practices is by the provision of up-to-date training. CompEx is a nationally recognised and industry approved specialist training scheme delivering competency training and assessment that covers electrical installation, inspection and maintenance in potentially explosive atmospheres. The CompEx Competency scheme, jointly developed by The Engineering Equipment and Materials Users’ Association (EEMUA) and JTL, the industry’s leading training provider, is accredited by JTL and supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). All successful candidates receive a CompEx
Competency Certificate upon successful completion of both the practical assessment and theory examination.
Established in 1994, over 21,000 candidates have completed the course so far, through the network of CompEx accredited training and assessment centres throughout the UK. The course is comprehensive and involves four days of theoretical and practical training and assessment. It establishes the
essential principles associated with the selection and safe use of electrical apparatus in potentially explosive atmospheres.
Those wishing to attend the course must be experienced electricians with a recognised electrotechnical qualification. CompEx Competency training and assessment has been expanded to cover hazardous dust environments, petrol forecourt areas and the water industry hazardous areas. From demand within the industry, a new CompEx foundation unit is now available for managerial staff to provide an appreciation and
understanding of the requirements of safe working practises within hazardous areas. This unit is a short course and is not practically assessed.
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