# IECEx — International Ex Certification Scheme

> IECEx is the global certification scheme administered by the IEC for Ex equipment, services, and personnel competence. It enables a single certification accepted by most non-EU countries, complementing ATEX which is EU-specific. Increasingly the global default for Ex equipment trade.

- Source : https://industryhub.site/en/standards/iecex
- Body : IECEx
- Family : Hazardous Areas
- Status : current
- First published : 1996
- Latest revision : Active, continuous
- Edition : varies per Operational Document
- Next revision : Continuous maintenance
- Access : Operational Documents free at iecex.com ; underlying IEC 60079 standards paid
- Language : English

## Document structure

- **IECEx 02 — Certified Equipment Scheme** — Equipment certification : Manufacturers obtain IECEx Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for Ex products. The certificate is recognized in IECEx member countries — single certification, multiple market access.
- **IECEx 03 — Certified Service Facility Scheme** — Repair / overhaul service facilities : Certifies repair shops as competent to repair Ex equipment. Globally recognized. Required by many operators when sending Ex equipment for repair.
- **IECEx 05 — Certification of Personnel Competence (CoPC)** — Personnel competence certification : Certifies individual personnel as competent in specific Ex unit (e.g., 'Ex001 — Apply basic principles', 'Ex010 — Inspect installations'). Comparable to TÜV Functional Safety Engineer in scope. Increasingly required for Ex work in many jurisdictions.

## Key concepts

- **Member countries** : 30+ countries currently. Major adopters : Australia, Canada (collaborating), China, India, Russia, USA (partial), most Middle East, South Africa, ASEAN. EU members recognize but maintain ATEX as primary.
- **Mutual recognition** : An IECEx Certificate of Conformity issued by an Ex Certification Body (ExCB) in country A is accepted by member countries B, C, D... without re-testing. Saves manufacturers from country-by-country certifications.
- **ATEX vs IECEx** : ATEX is legally required for EU market. IECEx is voluntary but increasingly required elsewhere. Manufacturers selling globally typically obtain BOTH (the same certificate often dual-marked).
- **Online Certificate System** : Public database at iecex.com — searchable, free. Lookup any IECEx CoC by certificate number. Validates authenticity. Increasingly required by buyers to verify supplier claims.

## Why IECEx exists alongside ATEX

ATEX is the **EU legal framework**. But Ex equipment is sold globally. Without harmonization, a manufacturer would need separate certifications for every market : ATEX for EU, INMETRO for Brazil, GOST for Russia, CCC for China, etc. Cost prohibitive.

**IECEx** is the IEC's answer : a single, internationally recognized certification scheme. Country regulators (in 30+ countries) recognize an IECEx Certificate of Conformity as equivalent to their own national requirements. Manufacturers certify once, sell globally (within the IECEx membership).

The catch : **the EU still requires the ATEX certification on top** of IECEx for market access in EU. So globally-sold Ex equipment usually carries BOTH ATEX and IECEx certificates — overlapping but separate.

## The three schemes

IECEx operates three main schemes :

**Scheme 02 — Certified Equipment**
Manufacturer applies to an Ex Certification Body (ExCB). Equipment is tested at an Ex Testing Laboratory (ExTL). Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued and listed in the Online Database. Recognized by member countries.

**Scheme 03 — Certified Service Facility**
Repair workshops apply for IECEx certification proving they can repair Ex equipment correctly (per IEC 60079-19). Globally recognized as "Approved Ex Repairer". Critical for facilities sending damaged Ex equipment for repair — only certified facilities can preserve the original certification.

**Scheme 05 — Certification of Personnel Competence (CoPC)**
Individuals are certified in specific competence "Units" :
- Ex001 : Apply basic principles
- Ex002 : Perform classification of hazardous areas
- Ex003 : Install explosion-protected equipment
- Ex005 : Overhaul/repair
- Ex006 : Test
- Ex007 : Audit/assess
- Ex009 : Design
- Ex010 : Perform visual/close inspection

Each Unit has its own exam and certification interval. IECEx CoPC is increasingly required by Middle East / Asian operators for foreign technicians on contract.

## Adoption pattern

| Region | Primary scheme | IECEx status |
|---|---|---|
| EU | ATEX 2014/34/EU mandatory | IECEx accepted but not sufficient alone |
| UK | UKCA + ATEX (post-Brexit transition) | IECEx accepted |
| North America | Class I Div / Zone system (NEC/CEC), UL/FM certification | IECEx accepted but not dominant — coexisting |
| Australia / NZ | IECEx primary | Fully aligned with IECEx |
| China | CCC plus IECEx (increasingly) | Growing adoption |
| Middle East / Africa | IECEx primary in most countries | Strong adoption |
| Russia / EAEU | EAC + IECEx | Increasingly accepts IECEx |
| India | BIS/PESO + IECEx | Growing adoption |
| Latin America | National schemes + IECEx | Increasing adoption |

For global manufacturers, the strategy is :
1. ATEX certification for EU market (legally required)
2. IECEx certification (recognized by 30+ non-EU countries)
3. Country-specific certifications where IECEx not yet accepted (North America zone scheme certifications, regional ones)

A modern Ex device often has 3-5 certifications visible on its nameplate.

## How to verify a CoC

Anyone can verify an IECEx Certificate of Conformity at **iecex-certs.com** :
1. Search by certificate number (e.g., `IECEx PTB 14.0123X`)
2. Database returns : certificate validity, equipment details, current revision, issuing ExCB, complete marking
3. PDF of the certificate available for download

This is increasingly an audit step in supplier qualification : sample a few Ex devices from inventory and verify their IECEx CoCs against the database.

## IECEx CoPC vs TÜV / national certifications

For personnel competence in Ex work, the international landscape :

- **IECEx CoPC** : globally recognized, growing adoption, especially Middle East / Asia / Australia
- **TÜV / DEKRA Ex Engineer / Inspector** : German tradition, widely recognized in Europe, comparable scope
- **CompEx (UK)** : UK petrochemical sector standard, similar units to IECEx CoPC
- **InstMC / IET** : UK professional bodies offering Ex certifications

For a contractor's technician working globally, **IECEx CoPC + TÜV (or CompEx)** is now a typical employability baseline in upstream oil & gas, midstream operations, and large industrial projects.

## Applicable industries

Equipment manufacturers selling globally, Multinational operators sourcing Ex equipment from multiple regions, Service / repair facilities for Ex equipment, Personnel certification bodies

## References & further reading

- [IECEx official portal](https://www.iecex.com/)
- [IECEx online certificate database (free)](https://www.iecex-certs.com/)
- [IECEx CoPC personnel certification scheme](https://www.iecex.com/scheme/certification-of-personnel-competence/)