arpadveress 
All covering Ex issues on site or related to shall be Ex competent. We may say, it is not anymore a questionmark today. There are good training programs available on the market (IECEx CoPC, CompEx, InHouse ones: E.g ExAM), but what about if all these individuals apply for a job and enter the site. Specially if the case the assessment / certification of Ex personnel competencies happened to be many years before (but still valid). Most of Ex personnel competencies are valid for 5 years.
It just happened:
At one hazardous area site few workers entered the O&G site with valid Ex personnel competency certificate (it would not be correct if I name the one), and the shock came afterwards. None what they learned (hopefully they did) practised it as per daily routine. They installed Ex JBs with Ex e glands, modified original specification, earthing was not in place, and many more.
At the end of the day the whole project team came together… whom to believe from now on?
They decided to establish an InHouse Personnel Competency measurement tool independent from any system asking basic awareness questions from all successful applicants.
We all learn from mistakes. Question: prior or …?
Keep up good work!
Arpad
Very concerned with this post.
We heard that in some countries, including Brasil, there are some “certifiers” that are giving the certificates not only based on practical evaluation, but just based on training diplomas (only paper).
Such policy indoubtably is “making their pockets full”, but is killing the reliability on Ex certifications’ systems, like you describe in your post.
Under such scenario, the best recommendation for companies with classified locations is to organize in house Personnel Competency measurement tool for Ex professionals, in order to guarantee safety in their installations!
I will write on this subject on my next monthly column in the Eletricidade Moderna Magazine.