Maintaining electrical equipment in yachts and boats
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out planned or corrective maintenance activities on electrical equipment and systems in yachts or boats, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to carry out the maintenance activities on a range of electrical equipment, such as power supply and distribution, lighting, domestic services, alarm, motor/rotating equipment, pumping and entertainment systems. This will involve checking equipment and cables for signs of damage, replacing faulty units and checking and tuning the equipment, as appropriate, to maintain optimal operational performance. You will also be expected to apply a range of testing procedures in order to adjust the equipment correctly.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the maintenance activities undertaken and to report any problems with these activities or with the tools and equipment that are used, that you cannot personally resolve, or 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 a minimum of supervision, taking full 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 appropriate maintenance procedures to yacht or boat electrical equipment and systems. You will understand the maintenance process and its application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required specification. In addition, you will be expected to report where the outcome identifies the need for further investigation or maintenance work.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the maintenance activities, especially those for isolating the equipment and taking the necessary safeguards to protect the equipment and associated systems. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant 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 time scale
- report any instances where the maintenance activities cannot be fully met or where there are identified defects outside the planned schedule
- complete relevant documentation
in line with organisational procedures, and pass them on to the appropriate person - dispose of waste materials in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety practices and procedures that you need to observe when maintaining electrical equipment and systems in yachts or boats (including any specific legislation, regulations/codes of practice for the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the area in which the maintenance activity is to take place and the responsibility they place on you
- how to recognise and deal with emergencies and the procedures to be followed (such as methods of safely evacuating and closing down of compartments in the case of fire or other major incident, first aid, fire fighting and resuscitation of personnel)
- the isolation procedure that applies to the maintenance activities (to include electrical isolation, removal of fuses, placing maintenance warning notices, proving that isolation has been achieved and secured)
- the specific health and safety precautions to be applied during the maintenance procedure and their effects on others
the protective equipment that you need to use for both personal protection (PPE) and protection of the equipment and vessel/craft
hazards associated with carrying out maintenance activities on yacht or boat electrical equipment (such as exposure to live conductors, misuse of tools) and how they can be minimised
the importance of applying electro static discharge procedures (ESD) when working on sensitive equipment or devices
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 drawings, circuit and physical layouts, charts, specifications, manufacturers' manuals, history/maintenance reports, graphical electrical symbols and other documents needed in the maintenance process
- how to carry out currency/issue checks of the specifications you are working with
- the maintenance schedules and methods to be followed to comply with company procedures for the maintenance of yacht or boat electrical equipment
- the basic principle of operation of the yacht or boat *electrical *equipment/circuits being maintained and the purpose of individual components within the circuit
- the different types of yacht or boat **electrical equipment, control equipment and peripheral devices and their maintenance requirements
- the application and use of a range of electrical components (such as module blocks, terminal blocks, multi-pin plugs/sockets, tray-mounted sockets, earth bonding points, RF and video connections) and the likely functions that will require checking
- the various cable distribution characteristics and circuit protection devices
- the different types of wiring enclosures that are used (such as conduit, trunking, traywork systems and bulkhead penetrations) and what to check during the maintenance activities
- methods of checking that components are fit for purpose and the need to replace 'lifed' items
- how to recognise defects in yacht or boat electrical equipment (such as under or over performance)
- the adjustments/corrections/tuning required to maintain the equipment/system at operational standard
- how to check that the replacement components meet the required specification/operating conditions (such as values, tolerance, current carrying capacity, voltage rating, power rating, ambient temperatures)
- the procedure for obtaining consumables to be used during the maintenance activity
- the appropriate testing procedures to be adopted during the maintenance activity
- the importance of making 'off-load' checks before proving the equipment with the electrical supply on
- the importance of ensuring that the equipment is maintained to the prescribed standard of cleanliness
- how to compile maintenance records/logs/reports which satisfy company policy and procedures
- the problems that can occur whilst carrying out the maintenance activities and how they can be avoided
- the organisational procedure to be adopted for the safe disposal of waste of all types of materials
- the extent of your own authority and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the maintenance of the yacht or boat electrical equipment and systems:
- use the correct issue of vessel/craft system drawings and maintenance documentation
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations
- obtain clearance to work on the system and observe the appropriate power isolation and safety procedures
- carry out the maintenance activities, using appropriate techniques and procedures
- re-connect and return the system to service on completion of the maintenance activities
- functionally test and adjust equipment to the prescribed level, as specified
- leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition
* *
Carry out maintenance activities on three of the following types of yacht or boat electrical equipment and systems:
- power supply equipment (such as, batteries, generators, alternators, wind or solar generation equipment)
- power distribution panel
- lighting (such as cabin lighting, navigation lighting, cockpit and deck lighting)
- services/domestic equipment (such as heating, cooking, air conditioning and refrigeration systems)
- alarm systems (such as flood and liquid level detection, security/intruder detection, gas and fire detection)
- motor/rotating equipment (such as bow thrusters, anchor windlasses, trim tabs winches and hoists)
- pumping systems (such as freshwater systems, bilge pumping systems, sanitary systems)
- entertainment systems (such as sound systems, video entertainment systems)
- personal computers including Wi-Fi
* *
Carry out twelve of the following electrical maintenance activities, as applicable to the equipment being maintained:
- visual examination of the condition and security of wiring enclosures (such as conduit and trunking)
- removing excessive dirt and dust from panels
- making visual checks of equipment and cables
- checking the integrity of all connections
- monitoring the condition of switches/contactors
- inspecting and cleaning sensors
- making sensory checks (such as sight, sound, smell)
- replacing damaged or defective connectors
- replacing 'lifed' items (such as filters, fuses, motor brushes)
- re-soldering dry joints and connections
- servicing back-up battery systems
- tuning and adjusting components
- making 'off-load' checks before powering up
- testing and reviewing the system function
- measuring and adjusting moving part clearance
- removing and replacing damaged or faulty electrical units/components
- replacing damaged or missing locking and retaining devices (cable ties, clips, proprietary fasteners)
- recording the results of the maintenance and reporting any defects found
* *
Carry out five of the following checks on the maintained electrical equipment/system:
- earth bonding tests
- serviceability checks
- insulation checks
- continuity checks
- signal injection tests
- simulation tests
- power output
- real time loads
- applying a dummy load
- voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) checks
- other specific check
* *
Ensure that the maintained yacht or boat electrical equipment meets all of the following:
- all components and subassemblies are fit for purpose
- all connections are safe and sound
- equipment functions to specification
- all potential defects are identified, recorded and reported for future action
* *
Maintain yacht or boat electrical equipment in compliance with one of the following:
- BS or ISO standards and procedures
- customer (contractual) standards and requirements
- company standards and procedures
- specific equipment requirements/manufacturer's data
- recognised compliance agency/body's standards (such as Lloyds, Boat Safety Scheme, BMEA Code)
- other accepted international standards
* *
Complete the relevant documentation
in line with organisational procedures, including one of the following and pass it to the appropriate people:- job cards
- system log
- maintenance logs or reports
- work authorisation documents
- vessel wiring documentation
- other specific recoding method
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Behaviours:
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
- strong work ethic
- positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment