What is BS EN 15257?
BS EN 15257 is aimed at enabling the competence of personnel carrying out cathodic protection studies, execution work, inspections and maintenance work to be defined and verified. The relevant application sectors concern underground or immersed metallic structures, marine metallic structures, reinforced concrete structures and the inner surfaces of metallic container structures.
The standard defines the competence levels of personnel within a given application sector and a framework for the training and certification for the personnel to reach and demonstrate the competence levels.
BS EN 15257 defines three competence levels of personnel acting in the field of cathodic protection, including survey, design, installation, testing and maintenance. It specifies a framework of procedures for the training and certification for the personnel to reach and demonstrate the competence levels.
It defines the minimum requirements for certification bodies responsible for this certification. The procedures for certification of cathodic protection personnel should be in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17024.
Competence levels and certification schemes apply to each of the following application sectors:
• Underground and immersed metallic structures
• Marine metallic structures
• Reinforced concrete structures
• Inner surfaces of metallic container structures.
These application sectors are detailed in BS EN 15257.
It is not mandatory for a certification body to establish certification in all application sectors or to all levels of competence.
Certification Levels
The scheme covers three levels of personnel:
• Level 1 Cathodic Protection Technician
• Level 2 Senior Cathodic Protection Technician
• Level 3 Senior Cathodic Design Engineer
operating in the four industry sections detailed above.
A certification body may subdivide application sectors and may combine levels of competence. If such subdivision and/or combination are used by the certification body, it should ensure that the certificates discriminate these divided sectors or combined levels from those defined in this standard.
BS EN 15257 does not incorporate the certification of companies or services, not does it include internal corporate assessment and qualification of personnel.
Contents of BS EN 15257 includes:
• Scope
• Normative references
• Terms and definitions
• General principles, duties and responsibilities
• Certification body
• Delegated body
• Training centre
• Examination centre
• Levels of competence
• Eligibility for certification
• Training
• Industrial experience
• Competence assessment for certification
• Examination for level 1 and level 2
• Common-core examination session
• Sectoral theoretical examination session
• Sectoral practical examination session
• Conduct of examinations
• Grading of the Level 1 and Level 2 certification examination
• Final assessment
• Assessment for level
• Re-assessment
• Competence assessment exemptions
• Administration of certification
• Certificates and/or wallet cards
• Provisional certification
• Validity period of certificate
• Re-certification
• Files
• Establishment of new certification schemes, extension of schemes, transition periods
• Certification body
• Certification scheme and training
• Appointment of trustees
• Establishment of certification scheme
• Liaisons with existing schemes
• Transition period for examiners and assessment committee
• Transition period for previously certificated personnel
• National boundaries
• Application sectors
• Underground and immersed metallic structures
• Marine metallic structures
• Reinforced concrete structures
• Inner surfaces of metallic container structures
• Competence levels (normative)
• Tasks to be fulfilled in all application sectors
• Specific tasks for underground and immersed metallic structures application sector
• Specific tasks for marine metallic structures application sector
• Specific tasks for reinforced concrete structures application sector
• Specific tasks for inner surfaces of metallic structures application sector
Full details of the education, training and experience levels and competences are provided in BS EN 15257.
The level of working knowledge, e.g. awareness, working knowledge or detailed knowledge, of these standards is dependent upon the certification grade as detailed in BSEN 15257.
In addition to this standard, it is also essential that cathodic protection personnel have access to the other BS EN published standards relevant to the application sector. The standards are listed below:
BS 7361-1 Cathodic protection. Code of practice for land and marine applications (Shortly to be withdrawn)
BS EN 12473 General principles of cathodic protection in sea water
BS EN 12474 Cathodic protection for submarine pipelines
BS EN 12495 Cathodic protection for fixed steel offshore structures
BS EN 12499 Internal cathodic protection of metallic structures
BS EN 12696 Cathodic protection of steel in concrete
BS EN 12954 Cathodic protection of buried or immersed metallic structures. General principles and application for pipelines
BS EN 13173 Cathodic protection for steel offshore floating structures
BS EN 13174 Cathodic protection for harbour installations
BS EN 13509 Cathodic protection measurement techniques
BS EN 13636 Cathodic protection of buried metallic tanks and related piping
BS EN 14505 Cathodic protection of complex structures
BS EN 15112 External cathodic protection of well casings
DD CEN/TS 15280 Evaluation of a.c. corrosion likelihood of buried pipelines. Application to cathodically protected pipelines
BS EN 50162 Protection against corrosion by stray current from direct current systems