NZQA registered unit standard
28494 version 1
Page 1 of 5
Title
Carry out vegetation and tree work near power lines and underground
power cables
Level
4
Purpose
Credits
8
This unit standard is for utility arborists undertaking training for
work near electricity supply lines.
People credited with this unit standard are able to carry out
vegetation and tree work near power lines and underground
power cables and demonstrate emergency procedures.
Classification
Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Distribution Networks
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Unit 26551, Provide first aid for life threatening conditions; Unit
26552, Demonstrate knowledge of common first aid conditions
and how to respond to them; and Unit 28493, Demonstrate
knowledge of vegetation and tree work in the vicinity of power
lines and underground power cables; or demonstrate
equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1
This unit standard is intended for off-job assessment. The range statements across
the unit standard can be applied according to industry specific equipment,
procedures, and processes as applied in the electricity supply industry.
2
Safety of personnel and plant must be a priority throughout the assessment. If the
safety requirements are not met the assessment must stop and the candidate will be
assessed as not yet competent.
3
Performance and work practices in relation to the outcomes and evidence
requirements must comply with all current legislation, especially the Electricity Act
1992, any subsequent amendments, and any regulations, codes of practice
recognised under that statute, and the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992,
the Resource Management Act 1991, and their subsequent amendments, electricity
supply industry codes of practice and documented enterprise procedures. These
include, Safety Manual – Electricity Industry (SM-EI) (2010) Wellington: Electricity
Engineers’ Association (EEA).
A full list of current legislation and industry codes is available from:
Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28494 version 1
Page 2 of 5
PO Box 1245
Hamilton 3240.
4
The phrase in accordance with industry requirements is implicit in all outcomes and
evidence requirements in this unit standard.
5
Definitions
Industry requirements include all asset owner requirements; manufacturers’
specifications; and enterprise requirements which cover the documented workplace
policies, procedures, specifications, business, and quality management requirements
relevant to the workplace in which assessment is carried out.
Asset owner refers to the owner of an electricity supply network that takes its point of
supply from Transpower NZ, and delivers electricity to industrial, commercial and
residential customers.
Asset owner standards are the approved documented work site methods for carrying
out work on an electrical supply network to the standard required by the asset owner.
6
This unit standard includes vegetation control work and procedures which must be
carried out in accordance with the following Codes of Practice and Guide –
Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Tree Work – Part 1:
Arboriculture;
Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Tree Work – Part 2: Maintenance
of Trees Around Power Lines;
Approved Code of Practice for Power-Operated Elevating Work Platforms;
Guide for Safety with Underground Services;
EEA Guide for Safety and Health in Tree Work around Power Lines.
These codes and guide are available from regional offices of the Department of
Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) and the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
BS 3998:1989 Recommendations for Tree work is available from Standards New
Zealand, Private Bag 2439, Wellington 6140 – http://www.standards.co.nz/.
ANSI Z133.1-2006 American National Standards for Arboricultural Operations –
Safety Requirements is available from Wes Spur – http://www.wesspur.com/newarborists-products.html.
Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management, 2012 available from the
New Zealand Transport Agency – http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/code-temptraffic-management/.
7
Evidence gained for evidence requirement 1.2 can be generated in a simulated
electricity environment due to operational difficulties in trainees being able to talk to
network operators.
8
Assessment of practical skills against the outcomes in this standard requires three
practical observations from three different workplace activities, one of which may be
conducted in a simulated electricity supply environment.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Carry out vegetation and tree work near power lines and underground power cables.
Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28494 version 1
Page 3 of 5
Evidence requirements
1.1
Documentation is completed and checked by the site supervisor.
Range
1.2
Network is logged onto and network operator is advised of work details prior to
commencement.
Range
1.3
includes but is not limited to – manual work and elevated working
platforms (EWP), side trimming, maximum sag, fall distance, over
the top, felling.
Job is finished according to site specifications and company and/or asset
owners procedures.
Range
1.6
equipment may include but is not limited to – ancillary equipment,
chainsaws, climbing equipment, friction devices, non-conductive
ladders, non-conductive loppers and/or pole saws, non-conductive
equipment, lowering lines and devices, personal equipment,
spikes, flip lines, earthing of equipment.
Completed vegetation and tree work meets the site specifications, company
and/or asset owner’s standards, and relevant code of practice requirements.
Range
1.5
includes but is not limited to – network operator advised of
contractor, work commencement date and time, location, feeder
being worked on, work authority taken out for high-voltage lines,
estimated duration of work;
evidence of two is required.
Equipment is selected, checked for safe operation, and used according to
relevant codes of practice and company and/or asset owner’s procedures.
Range
1.4
may includes but is not limited to – hazard identification sheets,
job or time sheets, maintenance checklists, procedure forms.
includes but is not limited to – site cleaned up, work authority
returned at the end of the job, log-off completed.
Reporting documentation is completed.
Range
may include but is not limited to – tailgate meeting minutes,
service report, job sheet report, check sheet;
evidence of one report to company or asset owner specifications is
required.
Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28494 version 1
Page 4 of 5
Outcome 2
Demonstrate emergency procedures.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Emergency procedures are demonstrated as specified in company procedures
and by the network owner or network operator.
includes but is not limited to – near miss, damaged lines, damaged
hardware, injured personnel, inadvertent contact with climber and
EWP.
Range
2.2
Services to contact in the event of an accident or emergency are listed with
contact details and method.
includes but is not limited to – network owner, contractor,
ambulance service, fire service, OSH, police, MBIE.
Range
2.3
Aerial rescues are demonstrated according to company procedures.
Range
2.4
two and three person rescues using EWP.
First aid procedures are demonstrated according to company procedures and
site specifications.
includes but is not limited to – burns, unconscious victim, cuts,
slips, trips and falls.
Range
Replacement information
This unit standard and unit standard 28493 replaced unit
standard 17152.
Planned review date
31 December 2019
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
20 November 2014
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0120
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
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.
Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28494 version 1
Page 5 of 5
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 Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
qualifications@infrastructureito.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this
unit standard.
Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016