40 Years of Cenelec: From Humble Beginnings to Industry Leader

On 2nd September 2026, Cenelec Standards Inspections Ltd celebrates a remarkable milestone – 40 years in business.

Today, Cenelec is a trusted name in hazardous area compliance, providing specialist inspection, installation, maintenance, classification and training services to organisations operating in high-risk industries around the world.

But the story began very differently.

It started in 1986 with one electrician, an idea ahead of its time and the determination to turn that idea into a business.

The Vision of Alan Gibson

Cenelec was founded by the late Alan Gibson, whose career began when he served his time as an electrician with Wallsend-based Watson Norrie.
The years that followed took Alan across the UK, working on various contracts within industry. Those years gave him a wealth of practical experience and, ultimately, planted the seed for what would become Cenelec Standards Inspections Ltd.

By 1986, Alan had recognised an opportunity for a specialist business dedicated to hazardous area electrical inspection, an area in which his experience had given him both a keen interest and remarkable foresight.

His youngest son, Jonathan Gibson, who joined the company in 1992 and is now Managing Director, remembers those early days well.

“My dad served his time as an electrician with the Wallsend-based Watson Norrie, which set the tone for him to work on many contracts around the UK and gain experience across industries such as oil and gas, pharmaceutical, power generation and chemical.

“It was whilst working offshore in his late 30s for Shell that he became transfixed with British Standard BS 5345, which included guidance as a recommendation for electrical inspection. He saw the potential for his own start-up business.”

An Industry About to Change

Alan’s vision came at a pivotal time for hazardous area safety.

The Piper Alpha disaster in July 1988, which tragically claimed 167 lives, brought the risks associated with offshore operations and hazardous environments into sharp focus.

The years that followed saw an increasing emphasis on electrical safety and hazardous area management, including the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and, subsequently, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR).

The specialist field Alan had identified was becoming increasingly important to industries responsible for protecting people, plant and operations in potentially explosive environments.

Cenelec was ready for it.

The Contract That Changed Everything

Every business has a defining moment. For Cenelec, it came with an opportunity to tender for the inspection of the Mobil Oil Refinery at Stanford-le-Hope in Essex.

Jonathan was just ten years old at the time, but still vividly remembers his father working night after night from the dining room of the family’s modest home in Battle Hill, Wallsend, putting together the quotation dossier.

Alan subsequently travelled to the site to present his proposal.

He won the contract.

And it was no ordinary first major project.

The refinery contained approximately 90,000 assets requiring inspection – a huge undertaking for an established company, let alone a fledgling business.

For Alan and his family, accepting the opportunity required an enormous leap of faith.

“My parents had three kids and no real business cash flow, but somehow, they financially managed to initiate the job and build on a mammoth opportunity.

“They took the highest of financial risks, including our home, to follow Dad’s dream and vision.”

That decision became the foundation on which Cenelec was built.

What began as an enormous first opportunity developed into a relationship spanning more than 20 continuous years, with Cenelec maintaining a permanent presence at the refinery through ownership by companies including Mobil and BP, until the site eventually closed following Petroplus entering administration.

From One Opportunity to Hundreds of Clients

The Mobil project may have provided the foundation, but it was only the beginning.

Cenelec went on to secure work with major organisations including National Grid, Diageo and Centrica, establishing its reputation within what remains a highly specialist industry.

Over the decades, the business continued to evolve, expanding its workforce, technical capabilities and range of services while working with hundreds of major clients.

Today, Cenelec supports high-risk industries including oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, marine, food manufacturing, utilities, power generation and renewables.

Its work has also expanded considerably beyond electrical inspection. Cenelec now provides comprehensive hazardous area compliance support including initial and periodic inspections, DSEAR assessments, hazardous area classification, maintenance and repair, electrical installations, non-electrical compliance and system documentation.

The business has grown geographically too, with its expertise now supporting clients and projects around the world.

Passing Knowledge to the Next Generation

Training has become another important part of the Cenelec story.

From its dedicated training facilities at Cenelec’s Northumberland headquarters, the company now provides accredited CompEx and bespoke hazardous area training, combining technical knowledge with practical, hands-on learning.

For a company that began because one electrician recognised how important specialist knowledge and competence would become within hazardous environments, helping to develop the next generation of competent engineers and technicians feels particularly fitting.

It is another example of how Alan’s original vision has continued to evolve.

A Family Business and a Lasting Legacy

Alan retired in 2012 after more than a quarter of a century at the helm of the company he had created.

He enjoyed ten years of retirement and had the opportunity to watch Cenelec continue to grow under Jonathan’s leadership.

And although he was no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the business, he never lost interest in what was happening.

Jonathan recalls that some of their best conversations about Cenelec took place away from offices, inspections and hazardous areas altogether.

“He loved nothing more than me providing a regular update on what was happening with new project wins over a few beers in our local, The Ridley Arms in Morpeth.”

For Jonathan, the experience of working alongside his father for decades provided far more than a career.

“Working with my dad gave me a fantastic insight into his entrepreneurial mindset and vision for the future.

“He was quite exceptional in all he did and achieved, and I, along with our close family, have nothing but fantastic memories and pride.”

40 Years – And Looking to the Future

From Alan Gibson working on a quotation at his dining-room table in Battle Hill to a company providing specialist hazardous area compliance and training services internationally, the Cenelec of today is almost unrecognisable from the fledgling business established in 1986.

But the principles behind it are not.

Technical expertise. High standards. An understanding of the industries it serves. And, above all, a commitment to keeping people and operations safe.

Forty years in business is a significant achievement for any company.

For Cenelec, it is also an opportunity to remember the vision and determination of the man who started it, the family who took a considerable risk to help make that vision possible, and all of the people who have contributed to the company’s success during the four decades since.

Now proudly part or Certek Group since October 2024, the current team look forward with confidence; the opportunities for Cenelec are vast and with a new supportive partner, we have continued to invest and develop the business and our services.

As Cenelec Standards Inspections Ltd celebrates its 40th anniversary on 2nd September 2026, everyone at the company can look back with enormous pride at what has been achieved, while continuing to build on Alan Gibson’s remarkable legacy for the years ahead.