Profile
Jim Munro:
Jim Munro is Managing Director of Jim Munro International Compliance Pty Ltd. He is a professional engineer with over 40 years of experience. Major areas of expertise include: equipment for use in hazardous areas (also called hazardous locations or explosive atmospheres), and occupational health and safety (with particular reference to plant safety).
He has been actively involved in the field of explosion-protected equipment (Ex equipment) since 1979 at the national and international level. For the past 13 years he has chaired the committee responsible for development of standards in this field (TC 31). He has also been involved with the development of certification systems for Ex equipment in Australia (AUS Ex and ANZEx Schemes) and for the international IECEx Scheme. He holds a number of key positions at the international level (see details below).
In the past seven years in his current role he has travelled and worked extensively overseas, carrying out work in over 20 countries. During this time he established an agreement with TÜV SÜD PSB Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, to provide them with contract/mentor services while they were operating as an ExCB in the IECEx System. He has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Supervision & Test Center of Ex-Products of China Chemical & Petroleum Industry (PCEC) in Tianjin, China.
Current international roles include:
- Chairman of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Committee TC 31, Equipment for Explosive Atmospheres
- Chairman of the IECEx Scheme Panel of Assessors
- Lead assessor with the IECEx Scheme
- Convenor of IECEx ExMC Working Group 4, Technical Reference Group for Assessment of ExCBs and ExTLs
- Member of IECEx ExMC Working Group 1, Revision of IECEx Scheme Rules and Procedures (IECEx 02)
- Member of IECEx ExMC Working Group 2, Development of Technical Guidance Documents
- Member of IECEx ExMC Working Group 8, Regulatory Acceptance
- Member of IECEx ExMC Working Group 13, IECEx Scheme Business Development
- Member of IECEx ExTAG Working Group 1, Preparation of assessment and test report forms ExTRs
- Member of IECEx ExTAG Working Group 6, Rules of procedure for testing at other locatio
- Member of IECEx ExTAG Working Group 10, Proficiency testing
- Member of IEC TC 31 Maintenance Team, IEC 60079-29 series (gas detectors)
- Member of IEC TC 31 Project Team, IEC 60079-33 (Ex s)
- Member of IEC working group SC 31G WG4 Spark Test Apparatus
Qualifications, recognitions and other key roles include:
- Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) degree from Sydney University
- Graduate Diploma of Data Processing from University of Technology, Sydney
- Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia
- Chartered professional engineer (CPEng)
- On the Australian National Professional Engineers Register (NPER)
- Registered as an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Engineer
- Assessor with the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) for many years
- Assessor with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)
- Qualified Quality Management System auditor, with particular emphasis on product certification
- Chairman of Engineers Australia, Sydney Division, Excellence Awards Panel for Workplace Health and Safety
Other roles have included:
- Director of TestSafe Australia for six years up to early 2004
- Chairman of Standards Australia Committee EL/14, Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Areas, for 12 years
- Headed up hazardous area testing operations at the Londonderry Occupational Safety Centre (TestSafe Australia’s former name) for 11 years
- Chaired the National Occupational Safety and Health Commission’s working group developing and implementing the Australian National Standard for Plant, which formed the basis of OHS plant legislation throughout Australia
- Manager Engineering Services at WorkCover NSW for eight years
- Acting Director of Standards at Worksafe Australia.
Biographies
Jim Munro’s biography appears in Marquis Who’s Who in the World, and Marquis Who’s Who in Science and Engineering