Remove overhead line plant and apparatus in the power industry

Overview

This standard is about removing overhead line plant and apparatus in an electricity power utilities environment on wood pole or steel structures.  This could apply to removing transmission conductors from steel towers or overhead steelwork, fittings or conductors from wood poles. This could apply to both electrical transmission or electrical distribution networks and could typically apply to voltages from low voltage up to and including transmission voltages such as 400,000 volts. Networks could be aligned with systems using traditional or emerging energy technologies.

This standard includes confirming safety documents, permissions and instructions, carrying out risk assessments, checking the system is safe to work on, raising and lowering plant, apparatus, tools and equipment, de-tensioning and removing plant and apparatus, testing before, during and after removal, checking completed work and completing documentation.

This standard is for crafts persons or technicians working for network owners or operators or their sub-contractors who are responsible for removing overhead line plant and apparatus on electrical networks.  This could be carried out by people with different levels of network operational authorisation, but in each case, they will be required to have the degree of supervision which is required for their individual level of authority.

Performance Criteria

You must be able to:

  1. identify work location using system information in line with organisational procedures
  2. carry out all work within the remits of own authority and under the supervision of suitably authorised personnel when required
  3. receive and confirm land access permissions, safety documents and work instructions about removal activities to be carried out in line with organisational procedures
  4. carry out site specific risk assessments of work areas and condition of plant and apparatus to be worked on, identifying hazards and required control measures in line with organisational procedures
  5. check the system is confirmed as safe to work on in line with organisational operational safety rules
  6. communicate the status of overhead line removal to affected parties and designated people when required and in line with organisational procedures
  7. use approved tools, equipment and consumables for overhead line plant and apparatus removal in line with organisational procedures
  8. work in line with health and safety, environmental and other relevant regulations, directives and guidance at all times
  9. ensure plant, apparatus, tools, equipment and consumables are raised, lowered and used in accordance with organisational safety procedures
  10. de-tension and remove overhead line plant and apparatus in line with workplan, safety instructions and organisational procedures
  11. carry out testing procedures before, during and after removal activity in line with organisational procedures
  12. prepare and store dismantled plant and apparatus for removal in line with organisational and environmental procedures
  13. check plant and apparatus has been dismantled in line with organisational specifications and no damage has occurred to nearby overhead line plant and apparatus
  14. complete documentation for overhead line plant and apparatus dismantling in line with organisational procedures
  15. leave work areas in a safe condition in line with organisational procedures
  16. deal with network issues and complications in line with safety and organisational procedures
  17. escalate issues that you cannot resolve to the designated person in line with organisational procedures when required

 

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. Electrical power principles including three phase alternating current and direct current theories; voltage; dynamic and static engineering systems; application of electrical and electronic circuit theory and interfaces between the system voltage
  2. Electricity network design, construction, capabilities, complexities, operations, boundaries, topologies and control boundaries
  3. Apparatus which makes up the transmission or distribution network and the design, operation, function and limitations of transmission or distribution plant and equipment, substations, transformers, overhead lines, switchgear and auxiliary equipment
  4. Standard terminology, abbreviations and nomenclature in relation to overhead line plant and apparatus and identification and dismantling techniques
  5. The regulatory requirements associated with safety while carrying out work associated in power networks on overhead line plant and apparatus
  6. The importance of ground clearance and exclusion zones to maintaining safety and how the line is constructed to meet clearance requirements
  7. The purpose of environmental surveys and impact assessments and how to check they have been carried out before starting work
  8. Required permissions for entering land and property, what they should contain and how to check them
  9. How to assess the location and structural integrity and the safe procedures for access, egress and working at height including the hierarchy of access for working at height methods
  10. The general and inherent dangers of carrying out work on electrical systems of different voltages under outage and non-outage conditions and required measures to address them
  11. Organisational procedures and safety instructions for receiving and confirming operational, network related instructions in normal and fault conditions, including remote and emerging technological advances
  12. The principles of pre task and point of work dynamic risk assessment, when they are required and how to carry them out and record findings
  13. Operational restrictions, their purpose and actions to be taken and how to recognise and use physical signage and network diagram indicators
  14. Who to notify about network related operations, when to notify them and organisational procedures for doing so
  15. Electricity network principles of operation of overhead networks in normal and fault conditions and associated protective devices and their indicators in the event of system fault scenarios
  16. Sources of system information and how to interpret them to identify overhead lines, points of isolation and earthing arrangements including system diagrams, work instructions, fault logs, protection data
  17. The environmental impact of disposal, organisational decontamination procedures and what to do if things go wrong, including the use of spill kits
  18. The approved plant, apparatus, tools and consumables required for overhead line plant and apparatus removal and how to obtain, inspect, prepare, carry out pre-use checks, use, maintain and store them
  19. How to dismantle the different fittings required within the remit of your role
  20. Processes to follow to prevent damage to plant and apparatus being dismantled and nearby plant and apparatus
  21. How to identify plant, apparatus and components that are re-useable and those that require disposal
  22. Organisational procedures and designated areas for storing dismantled plant, apparatus and components prior to disposal or long-term storage
  23. Safety, earthing or bonding arrangements including the correct sequence to apply earthing connectors
  24. How to carry out de-tensioning for the plant and apparatus with which you are working
  25. Organisational procedures for overhead line plant removal within the remit of your role
  26. The purpose of checks and tests for overhead line plant and apparatus, when they are required and how to carry them out including visual checks, functional checks, electrical tests
  27. Organisational procedures and systems for recording and storing operational information and to meet cybersecurity and data governance requirements, including role-based access, secure storage, audit logging, data retention
  28. The route to authorisation and supervision at different levels and the training, experience and certification required for your role