Can you connect/disconnect EX rated equipment if your not compex rated?

[beatboaby924y]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if any compex rated sparks could give me some advice on a problem I have encountered recently.

A senior manager has told me thats it's ok for me to disconnect a piece of EX rated equipment so that the equipment can be taken away and repaired. I imagine once the equipment has been repaired he'll want me to reconnect the equipment again.

The equipment is located in a hazardous zone and has various micc cables connected into an EX rated joint box attached to it so I would have to disconnect these cables from the joint box then once the equipment is repaired connect the micc's back into the EX rated box attached to the piece of equipment.

I am not compex certificated and don't know the rules/law concerning this type of work. I have always been under the impression however that anything EX rated in a hazardous zone should only be connected/disconnected by someone who has been through the compex course.

Any advice would be welcome to try and help me clear this up.

Thanks in advance.

Rob

 

[snowhead]

I'm not Compex, but a couple of thoughts,

Is the Senior Manager Compex Qualified or briefed in it as a Manager??

Will the area still be hazardous whilst the equipment is missing, if so the remaining cables / boxes need to be left safe.

 

[beatboaby924y]

Not sure if he's compex rated but does seem switched on but isn't really the point. More to do if I should be doing the work if not compex qualified.

Yes the areas still hazardous while the equipment is missing. The cables have been disconnected at the panel outwith the hazardous area. So cables are still in hazardous area but lying disconnected.

 

[Clive P]

Hi,

To put it simply, if your Manager or Supervisor is Compex trained then you can do the job if he supervises the work that you do, other than that, no you can't. As for the second point, there is no such thing as temporary in Hazardous area work, if there is a disconnected cable in the designated area then it should have a correctly rated JB on the end of it, circuit dead or not,

Regards,

Clive.

 

[timbobelfast]

What Zone is the piece of equipment in?

 

[beatboaby924y]

Hi,

To put it simply, if your Manager or Supervisor is Compex trained then you can do the job if he supervises the work that you do, other than that, no you can't. As for the second point, there is no such thing as temporary in Hazardous area work, if there is a disconnected cable in the designated area then it should have a correctly rated JB on the end of it, circuit dead or not,

Regards,

Clive.

Clive

Well no he won't be there to inspected thats even if he does have his compex. Also good point about it should still be put into a ex rated joint box even when it's disconnected cause its still in the zone but guess that's why people get put on the compex course, to learn this sort of thing. Think my question has been answered that I can said I don't know enough about hazardous zones or equipment used to be carrying out this type of work, something I already knew and told him. Don't think he'll be happy but better to be safe than sorry especially with this type stuff.

Cheers

 

[beatboaby924y]

What Zone is the piece of equipment in?

Sorry mate couldn't tell you, never learned about zones before. It's a petrol pump?

 

[Clive P]

Hi,

If it's a Petrol Station then that comes under Compex 07 & 08. Electrical is 01 & 02, Instrumentation is 03 & 04 ( which are the ones I have , 1,2,3, & 4 ). Dust is 05 & 06 and water is 09 & 10,

Regards,

Clive.

 

[snowhead]

Not that it really matters now, but who is disconnecting the fuel line to the pump and making it safe?

If it's not your company's own pump and it's on a retailers forecourt, you'd need a Forecourt SPA card as well.
It's a voluntary scheme but the major retailers won't let you near the place without one.

 

[listener]

CompEx is an assessment scheme ran by JTL and EEMUA. The standard that covers the work that you are doing is IEC 60079. You should be a competent person and have training to do the job. Without getting too technical thats about it. Good luck