COURSE PROVIDES A SPARK FOR HAZARDOUS AREAS TRAINING.

South Tyneside College is providing vital training on the use of electrical equipment in hazardous areas.

(PRWEB) September 4, 2003 -- One of only seven appointed centres for such courses in the UK, the Colleges Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering has devised similar courses for Transco for almost 15 years. Now, in response to a need for nationally recognised training, the course has been further developed and fully certified by Joint Training Limited, which oversees electrical qualifications nationwide.

With both marine and offshore applications, the course provides an understanding of the principles involved as well as valuable practical experience. Successful students registering with COMP'Ex - the national training and assessment scheme for electro-technical crafts personnel working in potentially explosive atmospheres - will be awarded the EX01, EX02, EX03 and EX04 standards.

Over five days of instruction and assessment, students are introduced to and gain practice in the concepts of protection, preparation, installation, maintenance and inspection with 'd (fireproof), 'n (non-sparking), 'e(enhanced safety), 'p (pressurised), and 'i (intrinsic safety) equipment.

Other areas covered include the characteristics of gases and vapours, concept of area classification, safety procedures and methods of explosion protection.

Roger Johnson, head of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at South Tyneside College, said: The use of electrical equipment in potentially hazardous and explosive atmospheres is vital to safe operation in many industries such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. We have run similar bespoke training for many years for a number of industries. Applications are wide ranging, with the marine and offshore sectors being just two examples.

Personnel from tanker companies have been attending our courses and we also now put our cadets through some elements as part of their maintenance training. It is excellent experience for the cadets as they embark on their careers, and also a valuable opportunity for hands-on practice for those who come to us to gain qualifications for their current jobs."

ENDS