Audit electrical systems engineering work in the power industry
Overview
This standard is about auditing electrical systems engineering work in the power industry up to the point of customer boundaries. This could apply to auditing in phases, auditing at the end of a project, auditing an entire operation or auditing some aspects of an operation.
This could apply to engineering work on 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. Operations could be aligned with systems using traditional or emerging energy technologies.
This standard includes checking work meets regulatory, legislative, stakeholder and organisational requirements, identifying sub-standard work and putting actions in place to resolve it, collaborating with others and completing auditing documentation.
This standard is for anyone working for network operators or their sub-contractors who is responsible for auditing engineering work on electrical systems. This could include those involved with operational delivery, asset management and electrical project management. This could be carried out by people with different levels of authorisation, but in each case, they may be required to have a degree of supervision which is required for their individual level of authority.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- Collect and review information about work to be audited in line with organisational procedures
- Audit work at an appropriate stage in the work process in line with organisational procedures
- Ensure work meets the regulatory and legislative requirements that are relevant to the work
- Check that work meets stakeholder requirements and organisational requirements for electricity network safety and quality
- Collaborate with people from designated working parties, other disciplines and external stakeholders in line with organisational procedures, when required to carry out audits
- Identify work that does not meet quality, safety, behavioural or stakeholder requirements and document it in line with organisational procedures
- Organise for appropriate action to be taken to resolve substandard aspects of work in line with organisational procedures
- Escalate issues that you cannot resolve to the designated person in line with organisational procedures
- Complete required reports and supporting documentation for audits in line with organisational procedures
- Carry out all work within the remits of own authority and under the supervision of suitably authorised personnel when required.
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- 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 control boundaries
- Electricity network design, construction, capabilities, complexities, operations, boundaries and topologies
- 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
- Electricity network principles of operation in normal and fault conditions and overhead and underground networks and associated protection systems and devices.
- Engineering technical specifications, policies and engineering standards relevant to the role and organisation and how to interpret and utilise them
- How to obtain and interpret information about stakeholder requirements, technical specifications and construction and electrical system diagrams and drawings
- The purpose of auditing work, audit techniques, approaches and processes including those relating to fault-finding and problem solving
- Regulatory frameworks, regulatory measures and reporting requirements
- Emerging technologies and their impact on projected future load and the impact of shifting generation on network topography
- The impact of low carbon energy technologies and flexible energy storage on the network
- Environmental regulations and standards, sustainability principles, design and development considerations, waste reduction and recycling, procedures for handling environmental incidents and associated reporting channels
- Organisational documentation methods and requirements and reporting systems and associated regulations, policies and security requirements, including cybersecurity and data governance requirements, role-based access, secure storage, audit logging, data retention and data analysis techniques and report writing
- The principles of productive working relationships and team working, the requirements of equality, diversity and inclusion policies and how to avoid unconscious bias
- Your role, responsibilities and reporting channels, the limits of your autonomy and required coordination with other business functions in relation to the work
- The training, experience certification and network operational authorisation required for your role and the requirements for supervision for your level of authority
- Procedures for communicating with external stakeholders