[Closed] Becoming an ATEX inspector?

Combine that with being a PAT tester? A guy I know started doing that for a company, within a couple of months he'd left and set up on his own, has work coming out of his ears now! Easy money as long as you have the contacts to get the work! (Schools especially are goldmines apparently!)

That thought had crossed my mind too!

Lots of ATEX work outside distilleries, any process with explosive atmospheres so a lot of chemical plants, mining (not much of that left in the UK), waste reprocessing etc.

ygh - I've never used an ATEX inspector but having engaged people for vaguely similar sort of inspections, where ultimately if its done wrong (a) people might die (b) people can go to prison - even when nobody dies. I'd expect getting selected is a little more than having a certificate. You want to show that you assessed the assessor was competent (that might be X years of experience working in ATEX environments, Y years as a certified inspector, and has been used successfully by A,B, and C with good results). There may also be trade bodies that you'd essentially need to be a member of, as well as carrying significant insurance. I'm sure if you start now then in 10 yrs you could have a credible business. Atex certification of products is controlled via Notified Bodies (like certifying medical devices etc), so requires various quality systems and processes in place which will be audited etc. I'm not sure (but would expect) that Atex on installations is similar and will cost you several thousand a year just to maintain the certificate once you get it.

Having a relationship might not be enough to get you the business. Changing the guard on something like this often brings up "issues" which either the old guy ignored, or had been satisfied after lots of discussion were OK, and then the new guy comes in and starts stirring it up again. If they want rid of the old guy then why - is he causing problems they hope the new guy will brush over?

Combine that with being a PAT tester?

We are talking completely opposite ends of the scale. PAT testing is about volume of test in time, requires very little skill (and is usually applied with zero intelligence, ignoring the actual risk), and even if you do it totally wrong is very unlikely to result in you being inside a court room. There's loads of businesses who (think they) need it and who will buy on the cheapest/easiest to engage with - and the office manager or similar is often the person arranging it.

I spent my formative teenge years  training* as a Playtex inspector.

*The Kays catalogue was like the internet of the 80's

A guy I was sat next to on a plane coming back off holiday was reading some ATEX book with all the 60079 standards in, we use them at work so got chatting. Thats what he was doing re sitting an exam for it, said he works up in the North EaSt. Loads of work apparently up there.

Is it easy enough to just pay for a course to be a certified inspector, register as self-employed then approach distilleries directly or sign up with an umbrella company who’d contract you out?

No.

It is a broad subject area. I think what you're invisaging is going and checking electrical and mechanical equipment to ensure it's Atex certification is maintained. This would normally be done by qualified instrument or mechanical technicians, or OEM technicians with specialist training. For oddball kit in the an explosive atmosphere, specialists would be involved.

Given the need to comply with the DSEAR regulations (the UK implementation of Atex) and COMAH I suspect most places will go with established companies to do this kind of work.

I would say you would want a failry sound background in instrument or mechanical inpsection before trying to get into this sort of niche.

Have a look here.

https://www.competency.baseefa.com/

...what poly (edit: and tom) said.
I've always found Ex Veritas to be a very approachable, small company that give good advice about training and career direction in that field. It might be worth contacting them. You will need a strong background of knowledge and experience in electrical design and/or installation though - that being the principal focus of the standards. The applications of the systems are really secondary be that distilling, oil & gas production, petrol stations etc. it's all about making sure the electrical systems can't be a source of ignition in a hazardous environment.

Don't become a pat tester. I was "qualified" to do it. Infact anyone can be, you just have to be "competent" which means you can read, you've read the instruction manual, and can tell the difference between metal and plastic. If you really want to push the boat out you can pay someone £25 for a worthless certificate that you print yourself.

Once you have your worthless piece of paper and a PAT machine you spend 8 hours plugging IEC cables into it and putting stickers on them. After that you lose the will to live and wonder what horrible combination of life choices lead you to this point. The next day you sell your Pat tester on ebay and look for a different job.

After that you lose the will to live and wonder what horrible combination of life choices lead you to this point.

^This. I bought a PAT tester with online "training" as the Mrs has a small business which she insisted required everything PAT certified. I didn't really think it did TBH.

It worked out cheaper for me to buy the machine and do it myself, than pay someone to do it every year.

It's soul destroying. I lose the will to live after a couple of hours and now wish I'd just paid someone to do it.

All what has been said above.

Its niche, and pretty specialised.

The training 'Compex' involves 4/5 full days and hands on work against the clock making off cable ends, terminating, potting etc, etc.

Once an installation has been completed , inspected and signed off then the need for further ATEX inspections are pretty slim.

The inspections would be required on new or modified installations.

You will need to have knowledge of cable types, knowledge that the cable is suitable for the application, knowledge of the cable gland types, knowledge that the gland is suitable for the application ete, etc.

Again PAT testing really is the opposite end of this. Its volume/pricing driven.

(I'm in the O&G industry and have seen standards rise over the years. Seen some pretty sloppy electrical installations in the past though).

PAT testing has come about as a bit of an overzealous intepretation of the 1989 Eletricity at Work regs which say you need to make sure stuff is OK to use. i.e. there is no legally enforeceable requirement to do PAT testing.

It is specifically spelled out in the DSEAR ACOP that you must test and maintain Atex equipment, it's also considered under the COMAH regs and spelled out in the delivery guides. So you are very unlikely to get the jail for a lack of PAT testing but quite likely for hiring a random to do your Atex inspection.

You can't really compare one to the other.

It’s soul destroying. I lose the will to live after a couple of hours and now wish I’d just paid someone to do it.

I just had to do it as part of a job at an equipment hiring company. Which meant everything needed testing before it went out the door each time.

If I'd worked there much longer I think I might have refused to do it as it was just so soul destroying. Then you get to a bit of kit that doesn't fit into one of the predetermined tests on whatever machine you have and you spend half an hour devising* a test for it.

*like a-level physics practical you've got the result (its obviously failed the generic c1, c2 or iec lead tests), its now just a case of fudging the question to suit it so you can put a green sticker on it.

Hmm, doesn't sound like it would be a go-er (ATEX), and I generally avoid boring stuff so screw PAT testing!