CompEx certification offers complete reassurance to employers and practitioners operating in potentially hazardous workplaces.
The CompEx scheme
The CompEx Scheme is the recognised global solution for validating the competency of staff working in all industries with potentially hazardous and explosive atmospheres. Our purpose is to support and promote workplace safety, by certifying personal competency. CompEx is underpinned by international standards and is ideal for employees and contractors who work in explosive atmospheres, such as the gas, oil, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
CompEx is the only Ex certification scheme that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.
Our qualifications are principally based on the international standards series ISO/IEC 60079: Explosive atmospheres, as well as elements of ISO/IEC 80079 for non-electrical equipment and ISO/IEC 61511 relating to functional safety for process industries.
The CompEx Scheme is operated by licensing centres which are managed by third party training companies. There are currently 61 licensed CompEx centres worldwide, including 23 in the UK and 38 international centres. This makes CompEx the most accessible core competency validation scheme in the world.
Learn more about the types of industries we work with and why CompEx is so important.
The main aim of the CompEx Scheme is to increase safety in the workplace. CompEx is underpinned by international standards and is the only Ex certification scheme that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons
The scheme supports all industries with potentially explosive atmospheres, including, oil and gas, chemical, manufacturing, utilities, food and beverage, fuel, pharmaceutical and maritime.
CompEx certification validates the individual core competency of employees and contractors working in explosive atmospheres, and therefore provides complete reassurance to employers.
The certification also benefits employees and contractors, working in a wide variety of roles, who want to develop their future careers by developing skills that are recognised internationally across the industry.
The CompEx Scheme is operated by a network of independent licensed training providers. There are 61 CompEx training providers located in the UK and around the world, with several offering some CompEx qualifications in various languages. You can find more information about our training providers, including their locations and contact details from the Find a centre page. For further information about specific centres and the units they offer, please contact the training provider directly.
CompEx qualifications are internationally recognised by industry and the UK regulator (HSE). Our knowledge and assessment qualifications combine theoretical and hands-on learning sessions culminating in a series of rigorous practical and examination assessments. To read more about the qualifications we offer, please view the Qualification section.
Certification is awarded to individuals when units have been successfully completed by passing both the practical assessment (where applicable) and the examinations.
Candidates who complete their assessments are registered by the CompEx Certification Body and receive a Certificate of Core Competence and a CompEx ID card. The card provides an easy way for employers to ensure that an individual has attained the appropriate core competence.