2025 Center for Hydrogen Safety Asia-Pacific Conference
Hydrogen Engineer competency: the key to hydrogen safety
All of the key decisions about hydrogen that affect its safety are made by hydrogen engineers or managers advised by hydrogen engineers. It is therefore essential that the nascent hydrogen industry is able to determine if is engineers are competent to make those decisions. The question arises as to what competency is and how do we determine if it has been achieved. One very clear way to know this is through having a competency framework for hydrogen engineers. Engineers Australia has embarked on the process of developing a competency framework for hydrogen engineers. The core of the competency framework is competency standards that define competency for each of the tasks/responsibilities hydrogen engineers will have. This competency framework will be useful for a range of activities that support the industry’s hydrogen engineering capability and so have wide application in supporting safety of hydrogen plant and facilities. The paper will set out Engineers Australia’s hydrogen engineering competency framework and how it contributes to safety in the industry.