Training provider and hazardous area operations expert EUTEX International and CompEx Certification Limited are working together to develop and pilot a new global hydrogen safety training programme. The aim is to promote personal safety and asset integrity within the emerging clean energy sector to progress decarbonisation strategies towards net zero.
Houston-headquartered EUTEX is one of the world’s largest training providers of CompEx approved courses. The international certification body’s training standards have been widely recognised by major organisations over the past three decades as the benchmark to assess the skills and competency of people working in potentially hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres.
Based on the ISO/TR 15916:2015(EN) basic considerations for the safety of hydrogen systems guidance, the new CompEx Hydrogen suite will cover the principles, properties, and characteristics of the gas in contrast to conventional hydrocarbons, allowing hazards and risks to be quickly identified, and appropriate mitigation and control measures to be deployed.
EUTEX currently trains personnel in existing CompEx certifications from its centres in the USA, UAE, India, Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar. The company’s portfolio includes installation and inspection of electrical equipment; working in hazardous locations where gases, vapours and dust which can form explosive atmospheres; design engineering for hazardous areas; and a wide range of certified products for its use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
EUTEX chief technical officer Fraser Heggie says, “As hydrogen’s role in the drive for net-zero accelerates, it is vital that those working with the new technologies associated with this gas understand how it can behave and how to handle it safely. Only then can they react quickly and appropriately to mitigate any potentially hazardous incidents from occurring, protecting themselves, those around them, and the integrity of the asset or plant they are operating on.”
“We have been at the forefront of delivering CompEx’s approved courses for more than a decade. We have a diverse experience across the energy mix and in-depth knowledge of how to develop and deliver training that is engaging and impactful. We look forward to building and rolling out the CompEx Hydrogen suite of online training to help upskill new and existing workforces with these core competencies,” Heggie continues.
The business is aiming to have the training packages completed, approved and exclusively available to its clients from this summer.
Huw Bement, director at CompEx, says, “Government and industry have realised the potential for hydrogen as a displacement solution to hydrocarbons, especially in areas such as transportation and the heavy industries. However, as well as being incredibly versatile, it is a gas to be approached with extreme caution.”
“The CompEx Hydrogen certification will play a key role in ensuring the industry is ready to deliver future energy requirements safely, and this partnership with EUTEX will help us to provide a programme to support skills development in green energy as part of a more sustainable future,” Bement adds.
Earlier this year, EUTEX merged leading hazardous area training and inspection provider ATEC into its business to encompass a full hazardous solution under one entity.
