IMPEM165 – Repair/overhaul instrumentation and control equipment used in food and drink operations

Overview

This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out repairs or overhauling activities on instrumentation and control equipment used in food and drink operations, in accordance with approved procedures. The instrumentation to be repaired or overhauled will have been removed from service, and the overhauling activities may take place in a workshop or the equipment may have been returned to the manufacturer for overhaul.

This standard covers instrumentation equipment including pressure, flow, level and temperature instruments; fiscal monitoring equipment; smoke, heat, gas, water, chemical and metal detection and alarm systems; industrial weighing systems; linear and rotational speed measurement and control; vibration monitoring equipment; photo-optic instruments; analysers recorders and indicators; telemetry systems; emergency shutdown systems and other specific instrumentation. Food and drink operations is a term used in this standard to cover the following sub sectors of Meat, Drinks, Confectionery, Fresh Produce, Bakery, Seafood and Dairy.

The repair or overhauling activities will include carrying out all necessary safety and decontamination activities, dismantling the equipment to unit or component level, inspecting and checking all components for damage and wear, replacing all `lifed' and consumable items and worn/faulty components or units, reassembling the equipment and carrying out all necessary quality checks.

You will be able to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions, and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant food and drink regulations, directives and guidelines
  2. obtain and use the correct equipment repair/overhauling documentation (including manuals, drawings, maintenance records)
  3. follow the relevant repair/overhauling schedules to carry out the required work
  4. provide and maintain safe access and working arrangements for the repair/overhauling area
  5. follow decontamination procedures for instruments that have been used with hazardous (including toxic, corrosive, inflammable, explosive, radioactive) substances in accordance with organisational procedures
  6. apply electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection procedures in accordance with organisational procedures
  7. establish and mark/label components to aid re-assembly in accordance with organisational procedures
  8. check that the equipment is maintained free from damage and foreign objects
  9. carry out the repair/overhaul to the agreed level, using the correct tools and techniques
  10. identify and store all removed components in accordance with organisational procedures
  11. report any instances where the repair/overhauling activities cannot be fully met, or where there are identified defects outside the planned repair/overhauling schedule
  12. complete the relevant documentation, in accordance with organisational requirements
  13. dispose of unwanted components, waste materials and substances, in accordance with safe working practices approved procedures
  14. deal with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

  1. the health and safety requirements of the area in which the repair/overhaul activity is to take place, and the responsibility these requirements place on you not to compromise food safety
  2. the isolation and lock-off procedure or permit-to-work procedure that applies to the equipment, including the critical control points
  3. the specific health and safety food and drink precautions to be applied during the repair/overhaul activity, and their effects on other
  4. the requirements of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) guidelines and standards in relationship to the repair/overhaul activities
  5. the specific requirements of your customer/client specifications in relationship to the repair/overhaul activities
  6. your responsibilities in relationship to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP, TACCP, VACCP) during the repair/overhaul activities
  7. what constitutes a hazardous voltage and how to recognise victims of electric shock
  8. how to reduce the risks of a phase to earth shock (including insulated tools, rubber mating and isolating transformers)
  9. the protective equipment that you need to use for both personal protection (PPE) and protection of the instrumentation and control equipment being repaired
  10. the hazards associated with repairing/overhauling instrumentation and control equipment, and with the tools and equipment used, and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
  11. how to extract and use information from equipment manuals, history/maintenance reports, charts, circuit and physical layouts, specifications, symbols used in instrumentation and control circuits, and other documents needed in the repair/overhaul process
  12. terminology used with instrumentation and control equipment, and the use of system diagrams and associated symbols
  13. the basic principles of operation of the instrumentation and control equipment being repaired/overhauled, and the performance characteristics and function of the components within the equipment
  14. the principles of the equipment’s design features for safe operation in a food or drink environment including minimising the chance of contaminates or foreign bodies in the final product
  15. the techniques used to remove components from the instrumentation and control equipment without damage to the components or surrounding structure (including de-soldering components, applying electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection procedures)
  16. the various types of electrical connector that are used, their methods of unlocking, orientation indicators and locating and locking-in of the connections
  17. the various mechanical fasteners that are used, and their methods of removal and replacement (including threaded fasteners, special securing devices)
  18. the importance of using the specified components for the particular instrument, and why you must not substitute others
  19. the need to label and store components correctly, and to check that replaced components have the correct part/identification markings
  20. the procedure for obtaining replacement parts, materials and other consumables necessary for the repair/overhaul, including their safe/hygienic storage before use
  21. the techniques used to position, align, adjust and secure the replaced components to the equipment without damage to the components or surrounding structure
  22. the quality control procedures to be followed during the repair/overhauling operations
  23. procedures for ensuring that you have the correct tools, equipment, components and fasteners for the activities
  24. the processes in place to segregate the tools and equipment used into high or low risk areas
  25. the checks required to ensure that all tools, materials and components are all accountable before operating the equipment
  26. how to conduct checks of the instruments to ensure the integrity, accuracy and quality of the repair/overhaul
  27. the cleaning requirements/policies in place before returning the equipment into full operational service
  28. the problems that can occur with the repair/overhauling operations, and how these can be overcome
  29. how to recognise defects (including poor seals, misalignment, incorrectly seated plugs and sockets, ineffective fasteners, foreign object damage or contamination)
  30. the recording documentation to be completed for the activities undertaken
  31. the procedure for the safe disposal of waste materials and scrap components, including any spoilt food or drink products
  32. the extent of your own responsibility, and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve

Keywords: Food and Drink; Instrumentation; control equipment; control circuits; engineering; repair equipment; overhaul equipment; maintenance/manufacturers documentation; replace components; checks and inspections; compliance with organisational policy and procedures