Don't know if this will help http://www.sparkyfacts.co.uk/Guide_to_the_Electricians_CompEx_course.html
Not sure of your oil and gas experience but being an industrial spark is certainaly a good start as you have to do a fair bit of SWA glanding, used to be Hawke 501 Universal glands but don’t know if that is still the case as it is about 15years ago since I last did it although I have done it a few times over the years before that as it only lasts for 3 to 5 years. Terms to get familiar with so that your brain doesn’t get too brain overloaded on the week. Methods of protection, Exd, Exi, Exe, Exn, Exp just get familiar with the terminology, you will get much more detail on course. T1 to T6 learn your temperature classifications before course, only 6 temperatures to remember. Gas groups ABC just get familiar with what they mean. I can go into bags more detail if you have more questions,
Thank you iv got a few weeks before I do it so that gives me an idea of what to research. My experience in this is very limited, iv installed/ replaced lots of flameprooef light fittings/isolators etc, using the Ex gland kits and MICC. The swa glanding won't be an issue iv been making off SWA cables of all sizes every week for 20 years. Thanks again.
First time I did it it was open book but it isn’t anymore. If you’re an experienced industrial spark the practical parts should be ok but the theory is mind numbing. Basically you have to remember loads of facts and figures. Last time I took it I failed the theory element 3 times, at the time I worked offshore and got paid overtime to attend courses. I built my summerhouse out of the money I earnt in overtime and christened it The Compex Wing kindly sponsored by Centrica Storage.
Blimey Ind, what you looking at doing, re-wiring a petrol forecourt or a distillery!! Which reminds me of my teenage years, working at a small rural garage, we had the old type clock hands pumps, strictly attended service - I was fixing a mower late one sunday evening, the bosses son and his mates (all about 8) were playing formula 1 on their bikes round the forecourt - I could smell an awful stench of 4 star, and it wasn't from the mower, went round to have a look, the kids had been pretending to refil their "cars", they were soaked, as was the forecourt. The kids got an early bath and I decided against a relaxing silk cut in the evening sun!
Done the course last week, my heads still spinning. You have to do: 3 inspections 2 installations And a 60 question multiple choice test on the last day. Got to wait for my results now, fingers crossed.
I've done this a few times over the last 20 years or so. It is definitely not a formality and I know a few experienced offshore sparkies who have failed elements of it. If I remember rightly, they used to send out pre-course study material, this was very useful and I would recommend familiarising yourself with it if you can. The T groups and gas groups in particular are important information when identifying suitability of equipment for zoned areas. One of the tricky parts of the course is that you are often required to specify the bare minimum standard of equipment for an area i.e. you can't just go OTT and specify the absolutely safest installation, just the minimum requirement for a given application. The workshop element was quite intense as I remember - two full days in an installation bay that has zone 0,1 and 2 areas designated. You are given a load of equipment, lights, glands, JBs etc and tasked with installing them in conformance with Ex rules. Another critical part was making off a barrier gland. When I did it we had to make off two Hawke barrier glands. When we were finished one of the glands had to be installed during your workshop session in the correct zone and the second one was sent of to Hawke to be cross sectioned to ensure the barrier compound had been packed in correctly. None of the above is intended to worry you, just to illustrate that it is (quite rightly) a serious business. If you give the study material the respect and attention it deserves you will be fine.
To late for worrying now i done the course last week, like you say it's intense and definitely not a guaranteed pass. The barrier gland is the only aspect I'd never done before and that gets checked the week after so who knows if I got thay right. I didn't get any pre-course matirial just straight into it last Monday. I'll let you know how i got on when I get my results in a few weeks.