TITLE:
Competency Standards for Emerging Hydrogen Related Activities
AUTHORS:
Richard Skiba
KEYWORDS:
Hydrogen Related Activities, Competency Standards, Health and Safety, Vocational Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology,
Vol.10 No.2,
May
18,
2020
ABSTRACT: As hydrogen use as a fuel gains momentum and becomes a component of many
nation’s economies, there is a growing need for identification of the skills
and knowledge required by workers undertaking hydrogen related activities. This
paper considers the activities in the industry and qualifies some of the core
competencies required for the emerging workforce. The core competencies are considered specifically
from the perspective of working with hydrogen rather than other gases, which in most cases have well developed competency standards, many of
which can be applied to the hydrogen industry. The paper focuses on training as it is applicable at a vocational education and training sector level, such
as technicians, trade workers and transportation workers, rather than the job
roles that require degree or above level qualifications. For many decades,
hydrogen has been used extensively in the process industries (e.g. refineries
and ammonia synthesis) and experience has shown that it can be handled safely
in industrial applications as long as appropriate standards, regulations and
best practices are being followed [1]. Relevant training will contribute to the safe handling and use of
hydrogen in its new applications. A number of general competency standards for
work in hydrogen related activities are presented and these can be used to be
integrated into existing vocational education and training frameworks.