EUSGNEM14 Plan operational requirements and quality criteria for utility network assets

Overview

This national occupational standard is about planning requirements for utility network assets operations from which work methods and procedures can be developed. It is also about specifying quality criteria to assess how effective those work methods and procedures are. Operations can include new works, modifications, maintenance and repairs.

It requires identifying network details and characteristics, evaluating contributing factors, specifying operational requirements and quality criteria, developing contingency plans, costs and schedules and identifying any required changes to current work.

This Standard is for supervisors, first line managers or the competent person on site who are responsible for determining requirements for operations of utility assets in their area of responsibility.

Performance Criteria

You must be able to:

  1. obtain information about the work to be carried out, clarifying any unclear aspects and any commissioning, decommissioning or handover factors with stakeholders in line with organisational procedures
  2. form an assessment of network details and characteristics from network design information and product specifications
  3. evaluate any contractual issues, third party considerations and factors affecting resources, transport, site support facilities and access that may affect operations
  4. develop realistic estimates of costs associated with operations in line with organisational procedures
  5. determine sufficient timescales for operations, including capacity for any contingencies that could arise
  6. develop contingency plans that will deal with all likely problems, issues and factors in line with organisational procedures
  7. specify operational requirements in sufficient detail for work methods and procedures to be developed and in line with organisational procedures
  8. specify quality criteria that will allow accurate assessment of the effectiveness of operational work methods and procedures
  9. identify and get approval for any required changes to current work to comply with quality criteria in line with organisational procedures
  10. record operational requirements and quality criteria in line with organisational procedures

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. relevant health and safety regulations, procedures and guidelines relating to yourself and others including duty of care, hazardous substances, personal protective equipment (PPE), use of equipment and machinery, confined spaces, excavations, lifting machinery, manual handling and other relevant industry specific regulations
  2. network engineering legislation, regulatory frameworks, codes of practice, associated permits, principles and processes relevant to the network being worked upon
  3. relevant environmental legislation and environmentally responsible work practices and organisational policy and their importance, including waste disposal standards
  4. operational principles and processes for new works, modifications, maintenance and repairs
  5. organisational procedures and systems
  6. sources of information about networks, regulations, guidelines, contracts, site access, stakeholder requirements, commissioning, decommissioning or handover factors and third party considerations such as local authorities and landowners
  7. how to identify and clarify unclear aspects of information obtained
  8. project planning and management techniques including quantitative evaluation, financial planning, scheduling and resource management of personnel, plant, and materials
  9. how to identify the critical characteristics of networks and evaluate design details relating to route, special crossings, engineering difficulties, other utilities, and general environmental factors
  10. how to identify requirements for scheduled and preventative operations including using statutory inspection and routine maintenance schedules, planned monitoring and condition monitoring
  11. how to identify requirements for unscheduled and corrective operations to resolve defects, unplanned outages, and breakdowns and to incorporate fault analysis, fault prevention, and performance improvement in unscheduled activities
  12. how to identify requirements for emergency and short term operations which affect safety, security of supply, and the environment
  13. the structure and content of quality criteria, aspects of operations they can apply to and how they can be used to measure success
  14. the structure and content of contingency plans to deal with problems, issues and factors including delays, routing problems, third party damage to utility networks and environmental factors
  15. the structure and content of operational requirements, how they can be used to develop methods and procedures and aspects of current work that they may affect
  16. lines of reporting and authority
  17. communication skills and techniques
  18. organisational procedures and practices for registering, recording, storing and archiving documentation and records and how to comply with data protection requirements