Specify methods and procedures to operate and maintain utility network assets
URN: EUSUM5
Business Sectors (Suites): Utility Management
Developed by: Energy & Utility Skills
Approved on:
2025
Overview
This national occupational standard is about developing and specifying work methods and procedures to carry out operations on utility network assets. Operations can include new works, modifications, maintenance and repairs.
It involves assessing and selecting methods and technologies, calculating resource requirements, developing procedures and control parameters and recording methods and procedures so they can be used for future work planning and scheduling.
This Standard is for supervisors, first line managers or the competent person on site who are responsible for specifying methods and procedures to operate utility network assets.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- obtain and use organisational approved information about the work to be carried out, risk assessments, available methods of operation and current and emerging technologies
- assess methods of operation against their fit with stakeholder requirements, quality criteria and organisational procedures
- select the most effective methods of operation which comply with stakeholder requirements, quality criteria, organisational procedures and relevant regulations and guidelines
- specify methods in line with organisational procedures, giving clear information about whether methods are conventional, use developed technology or involve trialling new technologies
- identify and calculate the resources required for operation in line with organisational procedures
- develop procedures which include all activities required to achieve operational requirements and which comply with quality criteria, organisational procedures and relevant regulations and guidelines
- develop procedures which take account of contractual issues, costing, resource availability, delivery arrangements, access, third party considerations, timescales and product specifications
- identify and specify control parameters for the equipment to be used in line with organisational procedures
- record specified methods and procedures in information systems in line with organisational procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- relevant health and safety regulations, procedures and guidelines relating to yourself and others including duty of care, hazardous substances, personal protective equipment (PPE), use of equipment and machinery, confined spaces, excavations, lifting machinery, manual handling and other relevant industry specific regulations
- network engineering legislation, regulatory frameworks, codes of practice, associated permits, principles and processes relevant to the network being worked upon
- relevant environmental legislation and environmentally responsible work practices and organisational policy and their importance, including waste disposal standards
- where to find and use organisational approved sources of information
- operational principles and processes for new works, modifications, maintenance and repairs
- organisational procedures and systems
- the organisational approved methods and developed technologies that could be used for different types of engineering process and the new technologies that could be trialled
- the detail required for procedures dealing with scheduled, preventative and long term operations, including statutory inspection, routine maintenance schedules, and monitoring
- the detail required for procedures dealing with unscheduled, corrective, and medium term operations to resolve defects, unplanned outages, and breakdowns, fault analysis, fault prevention, and performance improvement
- the detail required for procedures dealing with emergency and short term operations which affect safety, security of supply, and the environment
- the resources required and the procedures for obtaining information about their costs, availability and delivery including material, equipment, people, access equipment, transport, site support facilities
- equipment specifications and how to develop control parameters for its use
- how to incorporate stakeholder requirements, environmental considerations or requirements and third party considerations including land consent procedures
- how to identify who will be using the specified procedures and how to specify them for the different groups
- organisational procedures and practices for registering, recording, storing and archiving documentation and records and how to comply with data protection requirements
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Links To Other NOS
External Links
Version Number
2
Indicative Review Date
2028
Validity
Current
Status
Original
Originating Organisation
Energy & Utility Skills
Original URN
EUSGNEM15
Relevant Occupations
Engineering, Utility Managers
SOC Code
1123
Keywords
Utility; utilities; gas; water; power; sewerage; drainage; network; multi-utility; evaluate; network engineering; installation principles; resource management