Page 1 of 6
Title / Manage electricity supply work control systems
Level / 4 / Credits / 4
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate knowledge of safe working legislation and codes of practice, employee safety, and making plant and equipment safe; demonstrate knowledge of work control systems, their documentation and the responsibilities of people working under such systems; identify and communicate status of work control systems; prepare required work control documentation; implement work control systems; and document work control systems, in an electricity supply environment.
Classification / Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Power System Maintenance
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and safety prerequisites / Unit 12300, Demonstrate knowledge of electricity industry safety statutes and codes, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard is intended for, but not restricted to, workplace assessment. The range statements across the unit standard can be applied according to industry specific equipment, procedures, and processes.
2Performance and work practices in relation to the outcomes and evidence requirements must comply with all current legislation, especially the Electricity Act 1992, and any regulations and codes of practice recognised under that statute; the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; and the Resource Management Act 1991. Electricity supply industry codes of practice and documented industry procedures include the current version of the Safety Manual – Electricity Industry (SM-EI)(Wellington: Electricity Engineers’ Association). A full list of current legislation and industry codes is available from the Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation, PO Box 1245, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240.
3The phrase in accordance with industry requirements is implicit in all outcomes and evidence requirements in this unit standard.
4Industry requirements include all industry and workplace documented policies, procedures, specifications, and business and quality management relevant to the workplace where assessment is carried out.
5The range for this unit standard includes permits, entry approvals, work authorities, status confirmations, reclose blocks, mobile plant minimum approaches, and control of restricted entry areas.
6Practical exercises shall be used for training and assessment.
7The following terms and abbreviations relate to this unit standard:
SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, a computer system that is used to operate equipment and monitor the performance of the electrical power system and/or network, gather data for analytical purposes, and generally assist the operation and delivery of electrical network functions concerning the supply of electricity to customers.
Status refers to the operational condition or state of any or all of the components of an electrical power system, relative to its expected or required performance level.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of safe working legislation and codes of practice, employee safety, and making electricity supply plant and equipment safe.
Evidence requirements
1.1The provisions of legislation and codes of practice, and industry codes and standards relating to employee safety are outlined.
RangePart 2 and sections 25 to 28 of HSE Act 1992, Parts 2, 4, 5, and 6 of Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, electrical codes of practice, SM-EI.
1.2The competency requirements for employees carrying out prescribed electrical work and other work within electricity supply industry facilities are outlined.
RangeSM-EI.
1.3Theory of making plant and equipment safe is described.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – plant and equipment characteristics, de-energisation, isolation, testing, bonding, earthing, depressurisation, discharging springs, dewatering, purging, gas analysis, chocking, spragging, tagging, secondary feed isolation.
1.4The capabilities and limitations of remote control and indicating systems in making electricity supply plant and equipment safe are described.
RangeSCADA, communications, local and remote control, auxiliary switches, micro-switches, indications, alarms.
Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of work control systems, their documentation and the responsibilities of people working under such systems.
Rangework planning, worksite procedures, SM-EI, industry and industry standards, employee safety in restricted areas, management of work activity hazards and adjacent hazards, responsibilities of issuers and recipients, documentation.
Evidence requirements
2.1The principles of work control systems in use at trainee’s location and safe access to hazardous and restricted areas are described.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – SM-EI, notification and authorisation for work, rescue needs, reliability and security of supply, control of restricted entry areas, choice of work control system, entry approvals, permits, work authorities, assurances, reclose blocks, mobile plant minimum approach distances.
2.2Responsibilities of supervisor and other employees are defined.
Rangesafe working procedures, adequate supervision where required, HSE Act, SM-EI, competency and fitness of employees, industry standards, identification of plant and equipment, identification of hazards, safety of public, reporting, transfers of permits, checking personnel and equipment clear.
2.3Responsibilities of controller, operator, issuer and recipient for the primary works management system in use at trainee’s location are described.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – SM-EI, industry procedures and standards, issue and return of permits and work authorities, issuer and recipient applied safety measures, responsibility for employee safety, transfer of permits, limits of testing under permits.
Outcome 3
Identify and communicate status of work control systems.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – reclosure blocks, permits, entry approvals and work authorities prepared and ready for issue, issued, returned, or due for return.
Evidence requirements
3.1Present status in respect to permits, entry approvals and work authorities is determined.
Rangeissued, just returned, due for return, ready for issue, to be readied for issue.
3.2Planned events that impact on this status are identified, and their impact determined and recorded in the required format.
Rangeweather forecast, planned events, current and planned availability status of plant and equipment.
3.3At shift change, handover procedures are completed, ensuring that all relevant information is transferred to new operator/controller in a manner and timeframe which meets established operating requirements.
Outcome 4
Prepare required work control documentation.
Rangepermits, entry approvals, work authorities, requests for issue, planned and emergency procedures.
Evidence requirements
4.1Received request for work control documentation is analysed and implications of request determined.
Rangecustomer impact and requirements, market rules, plant and equipment specifications and characteristics, hazard identification and control, weather (actual and forecast).
4.2Work control documentation is prepared within defined plant capabilities and in accordance with schedules and workplace procedures.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – work site layout, plant and equipment identification, plan, operating orders and standards, permits, entry approvals, work authorities, schedules.
4.3Parties affected by the request are identified and notified of the request implications in a manner and timeframe that reflects the urgency and magnitude of the situation.
Rangecustomers, recipients, communication methods.
Outcome 5
Implement work control systems.
Rangeissuing, cancelling, modifying, transferring, confirmation.
Evidence requirements
5.1Work control system documentation is issued.
Rangecommunication systems may include but are not limited to – written, voice, electronic; SM-EI, industry standards.
5.2Operating actions required to implement work control systems are carried out in accordance with required procedures and operating plan and schedules.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – operation of circuit breakers, disconnectors, earth switches, headgates, valves.
5.3Local safety measures, hazards and conditions are explained to parties named on the work control system documents and their understanding checked.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – to making safe, de-energising, isolating, racking out, locking off, local earthing and bonding, spragging, chocking, dewatering, depressurising, purging, discharging stored energy systems such as springs, pressure vessels and charged capacitors, analysing gas, tagging, manufacturers’ procedures, permit area limits, nearest hazards.
5.4Implemented work control systems are checked for compliance, and areas of non-compliance are dealt with.
Rangeconfirmation of instructions, safety equipment specifications and use, compliance with legislation and SM-EI, non-compliance reporting.
Outcome 6
Document work control systems.
RangeSCADA printout, log book, test reports and results, plant history, permits, entry approval, work authority.
Evidence requirements
6.1Recorded information is complete, concise, and legible, and in chronological order.
Rangelog books, database.
6.2Operation events are recorded in the format required, and filed within scheduled timeframe.
Planned review date / 31 December 2015Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 21 April 1998 / 31 December 2013
Revision / 2 / 11 February 2004 / 31 December 2013
Rollover and Revision / 3 / 25 July 2006 / 31 December 2013
Rollover and Revision / 4 / 26 November 2007 / 31 December 2013
Review / 5 / 9 December 2010 / N/A
Revision / 6 / 15 September 2011 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0120
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Electricity Supply Industry Training if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Electricity Supply Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101813 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018