Outsourcing the Work Does Not Outsource the Responsibility

Contractor Ex competence deserves more than a certificate check at the gate. This article treats it as a controlled authorization: define the scope, verify the individual rather than the company, put Ex requirements into the contract, supply the zone and equipment data the work depends on, and verify the result before return to service. The closing idea is a Contractor Ex Compliance Gate, where authorization and verification stay connected to the Ex Register.

Infographic about the explosion protection competence process: training, documentation, inspection, maintenance and authorization management organized around a central digital system.

I used to receive questions like this from Head of Operations:
“How do I know whether my subcontractors are really competent for Ex work — and how do I make sure they comply under my responsibility?”

Sensitive topic… 🙏

As Head of Operations, I would treat subcontractor Ex competence as a controlled authorization - not simply a certificate check.
Before Ex work starts:
→ Define the scope - installation, inspection, maintenance, repair and engineering require different competence.
→ Verify the individual - not only the company. Training and certificates are evidence, but competence should also be demonstrated.
→ Make Ex requirements contractual - applicable standards, EPD, HAC, Ex Register, PTW, MoC and documentation requirements.
→ Authorize the person for specific Ex work - competence ≠ unlimited authorization.
→ Provide the right information - zones, equipment data, certificates, X conditions, drawings and existing deviations.
→ Control deviations - if the approved Ex condition cannot be maintained:

STOP → escalate → engineering/MoC decision.
→ Verify before return to service - “job completed” is not sufficient.
→ Track contractor performance - recurring defects, unauthorized modifications and poor documentation should affect future authorization.

The principle is simple: You don’t need to personally perform every Ex engineering task.

But as Operations, you need a system ensuring that:
the right person → with the right competence → receives the right information → performs only authorized work → and the result is verified.

This is where an Ex electronic database becomes more than an equipment register.

Think of it as a Contractor Ex Compliance Gate:
Company approved → Person competent → Scope authorized → Ex information available → Work executed → Verified → Ex Register/Verification Dossier updated

Because outsourcing the work does not mean outsourcing the need to control Ex compliance.

Outsourcing the Work Does Not Outsource the Responsibility

Topic