IECEx Hazardous Area Electrical Course
$5500.00
IECEx Hazardous Area Electrical Course in KSA, GCC & Africa | 5-Day IEC 60079 Training Outline
IECEx Hazardous Area Electrical Course Overview
This 5-day course is designed for professionals who work with electrical systems in explosive atmospheres across KSA, GCC, and Africa. It provides a practical understanding of hazardous area classification, Ex protection concepts, equipment selection, installation practices, inspection, maintenance, and documentation. The outline is aligned with the IECEx Personnel Competency approach and core IEC 60079 standards commonly used for hazardous area work.
Introduction
In hazardous locations, electrical work must be performed by competent personnel using recognized standards and safe systems of work. IECEx states that safety in hazardous locations depends strongly on the competence of people involved in planning, installation, operation, inspection, maintenance, and repair. IEC 60079-10-1 supports area classification, IEC 60079-14 covers design, selection, installation, and initial inspection, while IEC 60079-17 addresses inspection and maintenance. These themes make the course highly relevant for oil and gas, petrochemical, utilities, mining, manufacturing, terminals, and process industries in KSA, GCC, and Africa.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for electrical engineers, instrumentation engineers, maintenance supervisors, technicians, inspectors, project engineers, commissioning teams, HSE personnel, reliability engineers, and operations staff responsible for electrical assets in hazardous areas. It is also useful for personnel preparing for IECEx competency pathways such as Ex 001, Ex 003, Ex 004, Ex 006, Ex 007, Ex 008, and Ex 009.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Explain explosive atmosphere risks, ignition sources, and protection principles.
Understand gas and dust zones and the basics of hazardous area classification.
Interpret Ex markings, EPL, temperature class, gas groups, and protection concepts.
Select suitable Ex equipment and wiring systems for different applications.
Apply good practice for installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance.
Identify non-conformities, common failure points, and unsafe modifications.
Improve documentation, permit-to-work awareness, and compliance readiness.
Support competence development toward IECEx-aligned roles and assessments.
Learning Methods
The course uses instructor-led sessions, illustrated technical lectures, standard-based interpretation, worked examples, Ex marking exercises, equipment identification, installation reviews, inspection checklists, case studies, group discussion, and practical fault-finding scenarios. Learning is structured to balance theory with field application for KSA, GCC, and African industrial environments.
5-Day Course Outline
Day 1: Fundamentals of Hazardous Areas and IECEx
Introduction to explosive atmospheres, fire triangle, ignition sources, legal and operational responsibilities, and the role of competence in hazardous area safety. Overview of IECEx and the main IEC 60079 standards.
Topics: gas and dust hazards, basic Ex terminology, EPL, equipment groups, temperature classes, overview of IECEx CoPC units. Source Source
Day 2: IEC 60079-10-1 Area Classification
Understanding how hazardous areas are classified and why classification drives equipment and installation choices.
Topics: Zones 0, 1, 2 and basic dust zone awareness, release sources, ventilation concepts, extent of zones, reading hazardous area drawings, documentation and interfaces with process teams.
Day 3: IEC 60079-14 Design, Selection, and Installation
Practical requirements for selecting and installing Ex electrical equipment and wiring systems.
Topics: Ex d, Ex e, Ex i, Ex p and other protection concepts, cable glands and entries, earthing and bonding, segregation, installation quality, initial inspection, and common site mistakes. IEC 60079-14 specifically covers design, equipment selection, installation, initial inspection, documentation, and personnel competency.
Day 4: IEC 60079-17 Inspection and Maintenance
How to maintain hazardous area integrity throughout asset life.
Topics: visual, close, and detailed inspections, inspection schedules, maintenance planning, defect reporting, temporary repairs, integrity of flamepaths and seals, and avoiding unauthorized modifications. IEC 60079-17 is directly focused on inspection and maintenance of electrical installations in hazardous areas.
Day 5: Competence, Troubleshooting, and Audit Readiness
The final day consolidates learning through case studies, practical review, and compliance preparation.
Topics: identifying non-compliance, incident lessons, documentation review, permit-to-work awareness, contractor control, mock inspection exercises, and mapping knowledge to IECEx competency units such as Ex 003, Ex 004, Ex 006, Ex 007, Ex 008, and Ex 009. AFSEC’s catalogue also shows African adoption of IEC 60079 standards including Parts 10-1, 14, 17, and 19, supporting regional relevance across Africa.
