Maintaining electrical equipment within an engineered system
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out corrective maintenance activities on electrical equipment within an engineered system, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to maintain a range of electrical equipment, such as single and three-phase power supplies, motors and starters, switchgear and distribution panels, electrical plant, control systems and equipment, and luminaries, which are working in an integrated system involving two of the following interactive technologies: mechanical systems, fluid power or process controller.
You will be expected to isolate and disconnect items and components of the interactive technologies, in order to gain access to and remove the electrical units and components that require replacing or repair. This will involve dismantling and reassembling a variety of different types of electrical equipment which, in some instances, will need to be dismantled to component level.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the maintenance activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the maintenance activities, tools or equipment used that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You must ensure that all tools, equipment, and materials used in the maintenance activities are removed from the work area on completion of the activities, and that all necessary job/task documentation is completed accurately and legibly. You will be expected to work with minimal supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions, and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and will provide an informed approach to applying electrical maintenance procedures. You will also know about the integrated technology assemblies and sub- assemblies, their properties, functions and associated defects, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the dismantling and reassembly process effectively. You will understand the maintenance methods and procedures used, and their application within an engineered system, in sufficient depth to be able to carry out the maintenance activities, correct faults, and ensure that the repaired equipment functions to specification and remains compliant with all standards and regulations. You will also know about the interaction of the other associated integrated technologies and have sufficient knowledge to carry out the dismantling and reassembly safely and effectively.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the maintenance activities, especially those for isolating the equipment and for taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others in the workplace. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow the relevant maintenance schedules to carry out the required work
- carry out the maintenance activities within the limits of your personal authority
- carry out the maintenance activities in the specified sequence and in an agreed timescale
- report any instances where the maintenance activities cannot be fully met or where there are identified defects outside the planned schedule
- complete and store all relevant maintenance documentation in accordance with organisational requirements
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures and leave the work area in a safe condition
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the health and safety requirements of the area in which the maintenance activity is to take place, and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the isolation and lock-off procedure or permit-to-work procedure that applies to the system
- the specific health and safety precautions to be applied during the maintenance activity, and their effects on others
- what constitutes a hazardous voltage and how to recognise victims of electric shock
- how to reduce the risks of a phase to earth shock (such as insulated tools, rubber matting and isolating transformers)
- the importance of wearing protective clothing and other appropriate safety equipment during the maintenance activities
- hazards associated with carrying out electrical maintenance activities on an integrated system (such as handling fluids, stored pressure/force, electrical supplies, process controller interface, using damaged or badly maintained tools and equipment, not following laid-down maintenance procedures), and how to minimise these and reduce any risks
- how to obtain and interpret drawings, charts, specifications, manufacturers' manuals, history/maintenance reports, graphical electrical symbols, wiring regulations and other documents needed for the maintenance activities
- the basic principles of how the system functions, its operation sequence, the working purpose of individual units/components, and how they interact
- the different types of cabling and their application (such as multi-core cables, single-core cables, steel wire armoured (SWA), mineral insulated (MI), screened cables)
- the different types of electric motors and motor starters
- the different types of control systems and their various components
- the application and use of a range of electrical components (such as plugs, switches, sockets, lighting and fittings, junction boxes, consumer units)
- the various lighting systems used including tungsten, sodium, mercury vapour and fluorescent
- the different types of wiring enclosures that are used (to include conduit, trunking and traywork systems)
- the care, handling and application of ohmmeters, multimeters and other electrical measuring instruments
- the procedure for obtaining replacement parts, materials and other consumables necessary for the maintenance activities
- organisational policy on repair/replacement of components during the maintenance activities
- the techniques used to dismantle/assemble integrated equipment (such as release of pressures/force, proof marking to aid re-assembly, plugging exposed pipe/component openings, dealing with soldered joints, screwed, clamped and crimped connections)
- methods of removing and replacing cables and wires in wiring enclosures, without causing damage to existing cables
- the use of relevant regulations when selecting wires and cables, and when carrying out tests on systems
- methods of attaching identification marks/labels to removed components or cables, to assist with re-assembly
- methods of checking that components are fit for purpose, and the need to replace `lifed' items (such as motor brushes, seals and gaskets, and overload protection devices)
- how to make adjustments to components/assemblies to ensure they function correctly
- how to check that tools and equipment are free from damage or defects, are in a safe and usable condition, and are configured correctly for the intended purpose
- the importance of making `off-load' checks before proving the equipment with the electrical supply on
- the generation of maintenance documentation and/or reports on completion of the maintenance activity
- the equipment operating and control procedures to be applied during the maintenance activity
- how to use lifting and handling equipment in the maintenance activity
- the problems that can occur during the electrical maintenance activity, and how they can be overcome
the organisational procedure to be adopted for the safe disposal of waste of all types of materials
the extent of your own authority and to whom you should report if you have a problem that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Carry out all of the following during the maintenance activity as applicable to the equipment being maintained:
- plan and communicate the maintenance activities to cause minimal disruption to normal working
- obtain and use the correct issue of organisational and/or manufacturers' drawings and maintenance documentation
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
- ensure the safe isolation of equipment (such as electricity, mechanical, gas, air or fluids)
- provide and maintain safe access and working arrangements for the maintenance area
- carry out the maintenance activities using appropriate techniques and procedures
- reconnect and return the system to service on completion of the maintenance activities
- record the results of the maintenance activity and report any defects found
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures and leave the work area in a safe condition
Use appropriate dismantling and re-assembly techniques to deal with two of the following:
fluid power components:
- releasing stored pressure
- chocking/supporting cylinders/rams/components
- disconnecting/removing hoses / pipes
- removing and replacing units/components (such as pumps, valves, actuators)
mechanical components:
5. draining and replenishing fluids / release of gas pressure and safe isolation
6. removing major mechanical units (such as gear boxes, pumps, workholding/transfer equipment)
7. removing and refitting locking and retaining devices
8. removing minor mechanical units/sub-assemblies (such as guards, structures)
9. proofmarking components to aid reassembly
10. setting, aligning and adjusting replaced units
process controller components:
11. de-activating and resetting program controller
12. disconnecting/reconnecting wires/cables
13. reloading programs and making minor amendments
14. removing and replacing program logic peripherals
15. removing and replacing input/output interfacing
Carry out maintenance activities on six of the following types of electrical equipment:
- single-phase power supplies
- control systems and components
- three-phase power supplies
- electrical plant
- direct current power supplies
- wiring enclosures
- motors and starters
- luminaires
- switchgear and distribution panels
- other specific electrical equipment
Carry out all of the following maintenance activities, as applicable to the equipment being maintained:
- isolating and locking off equipment
- removing and replacing damaged wires / cables
- disconnecting / reconnecting wires and cables
- removing and replacing wiring enclosures
- attaching suitable cable identification markers
- replacing damaged/defective components
- setting and adjusting replaced components
- removing electrical units/components
- making `off-load' checks before powering up
- checking components for serviceability
- functionally testing completed system
Replace/refit a range of electrical components, to include eight of the following:
- cables and connectors
- switches and sensors
- invertors and servo controllers
- contactors
- solenoids
- circuit boards
- relay components
- capacitors
- lighting fixtures
- transformers
- rectifiers
- batteries
- overload protection devices
- encoders or resolvers
- locking and retaining devices (such as cable ties, clips, proprietary fasteners)
Ensure that maintenance activities comply with one of the following:
- organisational guidelines and codes of practice
- current wiring regulations
- equipment manufacturer's operation range
- BS, ISO and/or BSEN standards
Complete and store all relevant maintenance documentation in accordance with organisational requirements, using one of the following:
- job cards
- maintenance log or report
- permits to work/formal risk assessment and/or sign-on/off procedures
- organisational-specific documentation
- electronic reports