CompEx Ex14 Responsible Persons

The CompEx Ex14 Responsible persons qualification has been developed in consultation with industry to ensure the core competence of the responsible person. This refers to those in senior supervisory roles, i.e. persons directly responsible for the management of staff, processes and procedures relating to potentially explosive atmospheres, electrical and non-electrical (mechanical) equipment, protective systems, and installations.

The course aims to ensure that ‘Responsible persons’ as defined in IEC60079-14 and/or IEC60079-17 have the knowledge, skills and competencies to enable them to meet the requirements of these IEC standards, relevant directives and national laws.
The qualification will assess the level of competency of the individual with regards to these standards to enable them to manage operatives who are involved in selection, erection, inspection and maintenance duties of equipment remains in explosive atmospheres. The content includes theoretical application for the various aspects of the role. Experience and feedback received has shown that candidates gain a great deal from the guided discussions, so participation is actively encouraged.

This qualification is suitable for persons in managerial or supervisory roles who are directly responsible for the management of staff (including sub-contractors), processes and procedures relating to explosive atmospheres, such as, equipment, protective systems and installations.

Candidates that successfully complete the Ex14 Responsible persons qualification will be able to:

• Know and understand the applicable national regulations, directives and IEC standards which are applicable to hazardous locations e.g. ATEX, DSEAR, EPS Regulations, HSW Act, COMAH.
• Identify and understand the characteristics and terminologies associated with common hazardous gases, vapours and dusts.
• Understand the principles of hazardous area classification, how it is applied, and the documentation required to manage the process.
• Understand the various types of ignition source and their effects within hazardous locations.
• Know and understand the protection concepts, how certified Ex electrical and non-electrical maintains its protection concept and how it is to be selected, installed, inspected and maintained.
• Know and understand the importance of competency management within an organisation, including a risk-based methodology for personnel involved with the inspection of electrical equipment in explosive atmospheres.
• Know and understand the principles of Ex asset management, including examples of how to create and analyse inspection plans and prioritise remedial repairs.
• Understand the key principles and key aspects of equipment repair, including management responsibilities and documentation.

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• Higher National Certificate (HNC) or equivalent
• General understanding of relevant electrical engineering, including the ability to read and assess relevant engineering drawings
• Basic knowledge of quality assurance, including the principles of auditing, documentation control and traceability
• Employer letter of endorsement stating that the candidate is, or is working towards the role of a Responsible Person/Duty Holder

Candidates should ideally possess the entry requirements listed above, however, the decision is also based on the discretion of the candidate’s employer, who will already be aware of the candidate’s knowledge and experience. All candidates should be appropriately qualified electro technical and/or a mechanical craftsperson’s, or must be able to provide an employer endorsed letter to validate their experience in the relevant discipline. Candidates must sign a declaration to that effect as part of their registration.

Please note:
IEC 60079-14 and IEC 60079-17 standard - Knowledge and skills - Responsible Persons specifies the following.

Responsible persons who are responsible for the processes involved in the design, selection, erection, inspection, and maintenance of explosion protected equipment shall possess, at least, the following:

1. General understanding of relevant electrical engineering
2. Understanding and ability to read and assess engineering drawings.
3. Practical understanding of explosion protection principles and techniques
4. Working knowledge and understanding of relevant standards in explosion protection, particularly IEC 60079-10-1, IEC 60079-10-2, IEC 60079-14, IEC 60079-17 and IEC 60079-19
5. Basic knowledge of quality assurance, including the principles of auditing, documentation, traceability of measurement and instrument calibration

Delegate should have the knowledge of 1 to 5 above in advance of attending this course.
Requirements from 3 to 5 above, can be obtained by attending our CompEx Foundation ExF 2-day course. We highly recommended completing an ExF foundation course in advance of attending this Ex14 course, for successful completion.

Candidates undertake an online multiple-choice assessment and an online applied knowledge exam that covers the full Ex14 unit. For part of the assessment, candidates are expected to demonstrate their understanding by using documentation and information available to determine the correct answer. Please refer to the Candidate (Practitioner) Information document covering the HTML (Web) based exam delivery software requirements and responsibilities. (JTL 995 Rev.2 04/21)

Exam

The exam is split into two sections with a short break in-between:

Section 1 – Theory based exam (41 questions, 1.5 hours)
Section 2 – Applied knowledge exam (19 questions, 1.25 hours)

The exam is completed on day 4. It is essential that all delegates allocate sufficient independent study time to prepare for the exam between day 1, 2 & 3.

Candidates who are successful in the assessments will receive a CompEx Certificate in Core Competence.