Retain certification

Choose the right course that meets your experience

Employers and practitioners should consider knowledge, skills and recent experience when deciding which course to attend for recertification.  Some practitioners regularly work in hazardous areas, but for others this may be infrequent, or something that they have not done for several years.

For practitioners that frequently work in hazardous areas and have previously successfully completed full five-day practitioner courses in either Gas and Vapours (Ex01 – Ex04) or Fuel Forecourts (Ex07 – Ex08), there are tailored refresher courses available for recertification, e.g., Recognised Practitioners Programme.

However, attending a full course may be more appropriate for some practitioners who do not regularly work in hazardous environments, as it gives learners more classroom time ahead of practical assessments and theory examinations.

CompEx certificates are valid for a maximum of 5 years from the date of issue and must be refreshed before the expiry date on the certificate.  Failure to refresher before the expiry date will result in having to take the full qualification (Ex01 – Ex04 or Ex07 – Ex08) assessment again.

Revision and course preparation

Employers should make sure that staff have plenty of notice before attending a course, particularly for either of the recertification courses (Ex01R – Ex04R or Ex07R – Ex08R) to ensure candidates have enough time to study.

Candidates should also be equipped with the right skills, knowledge, and experience before attending a course.  It is important that they come fully prepared by undertaking revision of key topics such as relevant standards, regulations, and directives; ignition sources; risk reduction; protection concepts; hazardous area classification; equipment marking and selection.

Practical skills are also appraised during assessments, so practitioners must make sure that they can gland, terminate and inspect a variety of cables and equipment suitable for explosive atmospheres.