Assisting in the installation of engineering services equipment
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to assist in the installation of engineering services equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to assist in the installation of a range of services equipment such as fresh and waste water distribution equipment; workplace and environmental control equipment; emergency power generation equipment; heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment; gas and compressed air equipment; process and instrumentation control equipment.
This standard does not involve maintenance/repair type activities, such as removal and replacement of existing equipment.
You will be required to use the appropriate tools and equipment throughout the installation activities, and to apply a range of installation methods and techniques to position, level and align the equipment, and to make connections to the various mechanical, electrical, fluid power, water or fuel supplies, as appropriate to the equipment installed. The installation activities will include making checks and adjustments, in line with your permitted authority, and assisting others to ensure that the installed equipment functions to the required specification.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the installation activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the activities, tools or equipment used that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You must check that all tools, equipment and materials used in the installation activities are removed from the work area on completion of the work, and that the relevant job/task documentation is completed accurately and legibly. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, alone or in conjunction with others, taking personal responsibility for your own actions, and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
The installation activity may be carried out as a team effort, but you must demonstrate a significant personal contribution to the installation activities, in order to satisfy the requirements of the standard, and you must demonstrate competence in all the areas required by the standard.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will enable you to adopt an informed approach to applying procedures for the installation of engineering services equipment. You will have an understanding of the equipment being installed, and its installation requirements, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the installation process safely and effectively.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the installation activities, especially those for ensuring the safe isolation of services. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand your responsibility for taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others in the workplace.
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 all relevant instructions/documentation for the installation being carried out
- use the correct tools and equipment for the installation operations, and check that they are in a safe and usable condition
- assist in the installation, positioning and securing of the equipment, using appropriate methods and techniques
- carry out and/or assist in checking the installation, and make any adjustments in accordance with the specification
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures and leave the work area in a safe condition
- complete and store all relevant installation documentation in accordance with organisational requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the health and safety requirements of the area in which the installation 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
- the specific health and safety precautions to be applied during the installation procedure, and their effects on others
- the hazards associated with installing engineering services equipment, and with the tools and equipment used, and how to minimise them and reduce any risk
- the importance of wearing protective clothing and other appropriate safety equipment (PPE) during the installation
- 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)
- how to obtain and interpret information from job instructions and other documentation used in the installation activities (such as installation drawings, specifications, manufacturers' manuals, current wiring regulations, symbols and terminology)
- the basic principles of operation of the equipment being installed, and its operating sequence
- methods of marking out the site for positioning the equipment, and the tools and equipment used for this
- methods of drilling holes in masonry for rag bolts and expanding bolts (including use of grouting and adhesives)
- the various mechanical fasteners that will be used, and their method of installation
- methods of lifting, handling and supporting the equipment during the installation activities
- methods of levelling and aligning the equipment, and the types of tools, instruments and techniques used
- the methods of connecting the equipment to the services such as mechanical connections, pipe connections, electrical connections
- the installation and termination of a range of electrical components (such as plugs, switches, sockets)
- the care, handling and application of test instruments used in the installation activities (such as measuring instruments, levelling devices, electrical test equipment, fluid test equipment)
- how to conduct any necessary checks to ensure the equipment integrity, functionality, accuracy and quality of the installation (including the fitting of covers/guards to all moving parts, covers on electrical connections)
- how to recognise installation defects (such as misalignment, ineffective fasteners, foreign object damage)
- the problems that can occur with the installation operations, and how these can be overcome
- the fault-finding techniques to be used if the equipment fails to operate correctly
- the recording documentation to be completed for the activities undertaken
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Carry out all of the following during the installation of the engineering services equipment:
- obtain and correctly interpret documentation for the equipment being installed (such as job instructions, installation drawings and quality documentation)
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations
- confirm that authorisation to carry out the installation activities has been given
- check that safe access and working arrangements for the installation area have been provided
- confirm that services have been safely isolated, ready for the installation (such as mechanical, electricity, gas, air or fluids)
- check that all required installation consumables are available
- follow specified and appropriate installation techniques and procedures at all times
- deal promptly with any problems and report any that cannot be solved
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures, and leave the work area in a safe condition
- leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition on completion of the installation activities
Assist in the installation of one of the following engineering services systems/equipment:
- fresh water
- gas distribution
- waste water
- compressed air
- workplace environmental control
- process control
- emergency power generation
- refrigeration
- heating and ventilating
- environmental control
- air conditioning
- air handling units
Apply installation methods and techniques, to include six of the following:
- marking out positions of all equipment
- making electrical connections
- drilling and preparing holes
- making pipe connections
- positioning equipment
- securing by using mechanical fixings (nuts and bolts)
- aligning and levelling equipment
- securing by using adhesives
- installing and connecting peripherals
- applying screw fastener locking devices
- shimming and packing
- fitting anti-vibration mountings
- making mechanical connections
- moving and positioning equipment, using appropriate lifting and handling equipment
- securing by using masonry fixings (such as rag bolts or expanding bolts)
- attaching suitable cable identification (such as colour coding or numbering systems)
Use two of the following during the installation activities:
- alignment devices (such as plumb lines, spirit levels, inclinometers, laser equipment)
- linear measuring devices (such as tapes, dial test indicators, micrometers, verniers, feeler gauges)
- electrical measuring equipment (such as multimeter, continuity tester, insulation resistance, earth loop impedance tester)
- fluid testing equipment (such as pressure or flow testing devices, speed or temperature measurement)
Carry out all of the following checks and adjustments, as appropriate to the equipment being installed:
- making visual checks of the installation, for completeness and freedom from damage
- topping up fluid/oil reservoirs (where applicable)
- ensuring that all bolts are correctly torqued, and that locking devices are fitted to fasteners
- ensuring that all connections are correctly made and are mechanically secure
- ensuring that all covers/guards on equipment are in place
- making sensory checks of the system (such as sight, sound, smell, touch)
- testing that the system operates to the installation specification
Assist in dealing with two of the following conditions during the installation process:
- installations with no faults
- partial equipment malfunction
- complete malfunction of equipment
Assist in using fault location methods and techniques on the installation, to include one of the following:
- diagnostic aids (such as organisational records/history, manufacturers' manuals, fault analysis charts, troubleshooting guides)
- fault finding techniques (such as six-point, half-split, unit substitution)
- functional testing the installation/running equipment self-diagnostics
Produce installations which comply with one of the following standards:
- equipment manufacturer's operation range
- BS, ISO and/or BSEN standards
- customer (contractual) standards and requirements
- organisational standards and procedures
Complete and store all relevant installation documentation in accordance with organisational requirements, to include one of the following:
- installation records
- organisational-specific documentation
- job card
- electronic reports