- What the rules say
- BS EN IEC 60974-14 sets the method and the accuracy grades a welding power source has to meet when it's calibrated or validated. Your quality system (ISO 3834, EN 1090, ISO 9001) is usually what makes it a requirement.
- What "competent" means here
- The calibration standard doesn't name a personnel qualification. But measuring a live welding power source under load, and opening it up to put it right when it's out, is live electrical work. That brings in Regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations: technical knowledge or experience to prevent danger, or proper supervision. It also needs the right measuring equipment, with its own calibration traceable to national standards.
- Recognised training
- No calibration-specific qualification exists. What an auditor should look for is a recognised electrical qualification, training on the standard and the instruments, and real experience of welding power sources.
- What we hold
- Level 3 electrical engineers, testing against traceable reference instruments.
Compliance / Competence
Who's allowed to test your kit.
Most of the law says "competent person" and leaves it there. Here's what that means for each test we do, which qualifications are recognised, and what our engineers actually hold.
- Electrical
- Level 3, Maintaining Electrical Plant and Systems
- LEV
- BOHS P601
- Gas
- BCGA CP7 and CP47 trained
Why it matters
A certificate is only as good as the person who signed it.
If an inspector, insurer or auditor questions a certificate, the first thing they ask is who did the test and what made them competent to do it. HSE describes competence as the right mix of training, skills, knowledge and experience for the job.
For most of these tests the law doesn't name one qualification. It expects the person to be able to show they know the equipment, the method and how to judge the result. For LEV there's a recognised qualification most people expect to see. We've set it all out below, test by test, so you can check anyone who tests your kit, us included.
Qualified isn't the same as competent
A certificate on the wall isn't the test.
BS EN IEC 60974-4, the standard for inspecting and testing welding equipment, splits test personnel into two kinds. An instructed person has been told about the task and its hazards. An expert (a skilled or competent person) can judge the work and recognise the hazards, based on professional training, knowledge, experience and knowledge of the equipment itself.
The standard only treats an instructed person as suitable for simple tests where the case stays shut. Opening the machine is for experts, because the voltages and currents inside can kill.
So the standard asks for more than a qualification. A general electrician can be fully qualified and still not know a welding inverter. Someone with a calibration kit can know the readings and have no electrical qualification at all. Competence is both together: the electrical training, and experience of the machines in front of you. HSE's guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations makes the same point: a little knowledge is often enough to make electrical equipment work, but a much higher level of knowledge and experience is usually needed to make it safe.
Worth asking anyone who tests your welding equipment: what electrical qualification do you hold, and how much of your work is on welding power sources?
At a glance
What each test needs.
| Service | Standard or regulation | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Calibration and validation | BS EN IEC 60974-14 | No calibration-specific qualification exists. |
| Periodic inspection | BS EN IEC 60974-4 | Electrical qualifications at a recognised level, plus experience of welding power sources and the 60974-4 test sequence. |
| LEV examination | COSHH Reg. 9 / HSG258 | BOHS P601 (Thorough Examination and Testing of LEV Systems) is the recognised qualification for this work. |
| Gas equipment inspection | BCGA CP7 / CP47 | Training on the BCGA codes of practice, delivered by the BCGA or a provider working to its codes, plus practical experience of the equipment. |
| RPE and PAPR examination | COSHH / HSG53 | There's no set qualification for examining RPE. |
| PAT testing | Electricity at Work Regs 1989 | There's no legally required qualification. |
- What the rules say
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment to be maintained so it stays safe, and PUWER requires work equipment to be maintained and inspected. BS EN IEC 60974-4 is the standard written for inspecting and testing arc welding equipment in use.
- What "competent" means here
- The standard requires testing to be done by people with the right electrical knowledge and experience, because the tests involve live work and judging the results. Regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations says no one should do electrical work that needs technical knowledge or experience unless they have it, or are properly supervised.
- Recognised training
- Electrical qualifications at a recognised level, plus experience of welding power sources and the 60974-4 test sequence. Note: 60974-4 covers mains-powered welding equipment, not engine-driven sets.
- What we hold
- Our engineers hold the Level 3 qualification in Maintaining Electrical Plant and Systems, and work on welding power sources every day.
- What the rules say
- COSHH Regulation 9 requires local exhaust ventilation to get a thorough examination and test at least every 14 months, with records kept for at least five years. HSE guidance HSG258 sets out what the examination should cover.
- What "competent" means here
- HSG258 says the examination should be done by a competent person: someone with the knowledge, training and experience to examine the system, measure its performance and judge whether it's controlling exposure.
- Recognised training
- BOHS P601 (Thorough Examination and Testing of LEV Systems) is the recognised qualification for this work. BOHS P602 covers LEV design and P604 commissioning.
- What we hold
- Our LEV engineers hold BOHS P601.
- What the rules say
- PUWER requires work equipment to be maintained and inspected, and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations apply to gas systems under pressure. The BCGA codes of practice CP7 and CP47 set out how oxy-fuel and cylinder gas equipment should be inspected and maintained.
- What "competent" means here
- The BCGA codes call for inspection by a competent person who has been trained in the equipment and the code. They also recommend regular visual and functional checks, and set service lives for items like regulators and flashback arrestors.
- Recognised training
- Training on the BCGA codes of practice, delivered by the BCGA or a provider working to its codes, plus practical experience of the equipment.
- What we hold
- Our engineers are trained as inspectors to BCGA CP7 and CP47.
- What the rules say
- COSHH requires reusable respiratory protective equipment, including powered air-fed welding helmets, to get a thorough examination and, where appropriate, a test at suitable intervals, with records kept for at least five years.
- What "competent" means here
- HSE guidance HSG53 says examination should be done by a competent person following the manufacturer's instructions. It suggests at least monthly for most reusable RPE, and at least every three months where it's used only occasionally.
- Recognised training
- There's no set qualification for examining RPE. What the examiner needs is a real understanding of two things: the hazard the equipment protects against, which for welders is fume, and how respiratory protective equipment works and fails, from airflow and filters to seals and fit.
- What we hold
- Our engineers hold BOHS P601, which covers welding fume and how it's controlled, and a face fit testing qualification, which covers how RPE seals, fits and fails. We examine to the manufacturer's instructions and HSG53, and record every unit.
- What the rules say
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require portable electrical equipment to be maintained so it stays safe. They don't specify PAT testing or an interval, but testing and recording is the accepted way of showing you've done it.
- What "competent" means here
- The person doing the work needs enough electrical knowledge and experience to do it safely and to judge the results. The IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment gives the method.
- Recognised training
- There's no legally required qualification. City and Guilds 2377 is a common course for PAT testers, but a wider electrical qualification also demonstrates competence.
- What we hold
- Our engineers are Level 3 qualified in Maintaining Electrical Plant and Systems, and in-service inspection and testing of portable equipment is part of that training. We test to the IET Code of Practice.
Check us
Ask to see it.
If your permit to work, contractor approval or auditor needs evidence of competence, ask. We'll provide copies of the relevant qualifications for the engineers coming to your site.
This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Your own risk assessment, insurer or quality system may ask for more.
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