About CompEx
Our purpose is to support and promote workplace safety, by certifying personal competency.
The CompEx Certification Scheme is the recognised global solution for validating the competency of staff working in all industries with potentially hazardous and explosive atmospheres.
Our workforce certification scheme enables companies to demonstrate compliance with relevant legislation and regulation. It can support reputation management, as well cost efficiencies, project delivery and risk management.
Our purpose
We protect people and assets in industries where explosion risk exists.
- We enable organisations to embed competent people at the heart their operations.
- We support hazardous area practitioners to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to work safely and effectively.
- We work with training providers to assure high quality teaching, learning and assessing.
Watch the below video to find out more!
What we do
We design and operate qualifications that define and test the knowledge and skills of people working in hazardous areas. Our qualifications and e-learning provide practitioners and their employers with a competency pathway from entry level through to duty holder and engineering roles, as well as CPD and recertification.
Our qualifications are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes to international standards and through feedback from our stakeholders. We strive to ensure that new technologies, energy sources and work practices are reflected in what we do.
History
The scheme was established as a direct result of the Cullen enquiry that followed the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 when the oil platform exploded and sank in the North Sea and 167 of the crew tragically died. The safety recommendations that were made as part of the enquiry transformed the UK oil and gas industry into a global leader in safety.
International standards
Our qualifications are principally based on the international standards suites ISO/IEC 60079 and ISO/IEC 80079. We work closely with industry to ensure that we reflect best practice and promote safe working practices in hazardous areas. Around the world almost 5,000 organisations currently utilise the scheme for 35,000 engineers, electrical and mechanical technicians that operate in hazardous areas.
CompEx today
CompEx is more than just a certification scheme; it’s about our commitment to support process safety, asset integrity, and the continuous development of people working in hazardous areas. We understand the importance of ensuring that individuals operating in safety critical industrial sectors have the required skills and knowledge to navigate hazardous areas safely and effectively – for themselves, colleagues, business operations and the wider community.
CompEx Certification is used by asset owners, contractors, service providers and manufacturers around the world as a credible, externally validated assurance that workers can complete tasks safely, efficiently and in accordance with international standards, local codes, and regulations.
Originally providing the UK oil and gas sector and has since expanded to support employers and their workforce in a broad range of industrial environments across the world including maritime, chemical, and petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food manufacturing, utilities, bioenergy, fuel forecourts, waste incineration and landfill.
Ownership
CompEx Certification Limited is part of the JTL Group, a charity that delivers electrical and plumbing apprenticeships in the United Kingdom. The CompEx scheme was acquired in 2014 by JTL and is a private limited company. Previously known as JT Limited, which was originally set up in 1989, the company was renamed CompEx Certification Limited in August 2021.
Governance
The company is administered by a Board of Directors which is made up of a Chair, independent and JTL member appointed non-executive Directors and two executive Directors. The Board meets quarterly, with monthly updates provided on key projects and strategy matters as necessary.
The Board delegates the day-to-day operations of Compex Certification Limited to the Managing Director. The Managing Director reports to the JTL Chief Executive.
There are no formal Board sub-committees although three independent committees provide operational governance of the certification scheme. The Technical Advisory Council (TAC) provides subject matter expertise to the Board and management team. The Qualifications Committee provides independent scrutiny to ensure the validity and reliability of qualification and assessment design, methodology and performance evaluation. The Risk and Audit Committee (RAC) is responsible for monitoring internal audit outcomes, risk management, and compliance reporting.
Each committee has its own Terms of Reference that defines its purpose, scope and responsibilities. These are drafted by CompEx staff, agreed by the relevant committee and submitted for Board approval.
Credible assurance for industry
As a certification body it is critical that CompEx can demonstrate impartiality and objectivity. Impartiality is assured through CompEx’s continued accreditation to ISO17024 “Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons”. CompEx is independently audited each year, and these findings are reported to the Board.
CompEx Certification Limited (trading as CompEx) is part of the JTL Group. It was acquired in 2014 and is a private limited company. It is registered at Stafford House, 120-122 High Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0JS (No: 02336110)
