Hi there! Welcome back to Extend Training’s blog series on hazard areas. For this instalment we’re going to have a quick look at some of the other competency schemes that exist around the world for demonstrating competency for hazardous area electrical work. In Australia we are most familiar with ASNZS4761 and the UAE 11 training package which is the national training package that adopts that standard.
However, in other areas of the world they do use other competency systems. But the two main ones are the IECEX COPC system certificate of personnel competency and CompEx. The IECCOP system is very similar to the ASNZS4761 and in fact the competency units were developed based on 4761, so it’s almost the same. Competency certification in that scheme is done by IECEX certifying bodies. The key theme with that scheme is there is no training associated with the scheme. It’s assessment only; you demonstrate your competence by passing the exams set by the certifying body. The other common one internationally is CompEx. In fact it’s probably the most common international certification scheme for competency.
The interesting thing with CompEx though is its very difficult to show if that’s equivalent to any other competency because CompEx is owned by JTL Limited, an English training company, and they don’t make the contents of the competency units publicly available. Which is a bit annoying at times because we often have inquiries from people who hold CompEx units, asking is there equivalent to the Australian or IEC units. And unfortunately, even though it’s quite likely that they are, we have no way of proving that – so we’re not able to use CompEx units as a demonstrated equivalent to award an ASNZS4761. It is a bit annoying because we are aware that CompEx is likely to be very similar, but in Australian Registered Training Organisation (RTO) land we have to be able to prove it, and we don’t have the information to do that.
So, just to recap, the three main competency systems in the world are:
1. ASNZS4761; for Australia New Zealand primarily, although it is accepted elsewhere.
2. IECEX Certificate of Personnel Competency; and
3. CompEx; which is mainly used in Europe and the North Sea, but again it is accepted internationally
If you like my more about competency and the difference schemes around, please don’t hesitate to
give us a call with let’s have a chat.
Thanks, and see you next time.