NZQA registered unit standard
Title Carry out a line patrol on an electricity supply network
20412 version 3
Page 1 of 6
3 Credits 6 Level
Purpose People credited with this unit standard are able to: plan and prepare to carry out a line patrol; inspect access tracks; inspect pole structures; inspect vegetation near electrical lines; and report line patrol results.
Classification
Available grade
Entry information
Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Transmission Networks
Achieved
Critical health and safety prerequisites
National Certificate in Electricity Supply (Level 2) with optional strands in Electrical, Electrical Fitter, and Line Mechanic [Ref:
1293], or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1 This 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.
2 Safety of personnel and plant must be a priority throughout the assessment. If the safety requirements are not met the assessment must stop.
3 Performance 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, Hamilton 3240.
4 The phrase in accordance with industry requirements is implicit in all outcomes and evidence requirements in this unit standard.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

NZQA registered unit standard 20412 version 3
Page 2 of 6
5 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.
6 This unit standard covers the visual inspection of electrical supply structures, lines hardware, and conductors and the environment they are in. The more detailed inspections are covered in the unit standards covering condition assessment: Unit
20413, Carry out condition assessments of electricity supply wooden pole structures ;
Unit 20414, Carry out condition assessments of electricity supply concrete and steel pole structures ; Unit 20415, Carry out condition assessments of electricity supply steel tower structures ; and Unit 20416, Carry out condition assessments of electricity supply line hardware and conductors .
1.3
1.4
1.5
Outcome 1
Plan and prepare to carry out a line patrol.
Evidence requirements
1.1 Scope of work is identified.
Range includes but is not limited to – inspection requirements, site information, plans, procedures, approvals, public places patrol, aerial patrol, ground patrol.
1.2 Landowners are notified and access is agreed.
Communication protocols are established.
Check sheets for inspections are selected.
Network line structure components are described and identified.
Range includes but is not limited to – naming convention for legs, transverse and longitudinal faces, foundation types (grillage, anchor bolt, stub leg), tower components (leg extensions, body extension, superstructure, earth peak, diagonals, horizontals, diaphragm, primary and secondary bracing).
1.6 Conductor types are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to – Aluminium conductor steel reinforced galvanised core (ACSR/GZ), Aluminium conductor steel reinforced greased core (ACSR/AC), Copper (CU), galvanised extra high strength steel (GEHSS), optical fibre ground wire
(OFGW).
1.7 Tree species and position in a line span are determined.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

NZQA registered unit standard
1.8
20412 version 3
Page 3 of 6
Vegetation risk in terms of growth, swing distance or fall distance is assessed and described.
Outcome 2
Inspect access tracks.
Evidence requirements
2.1 Type and condition of access tracks are identified.
Range includes but is not limited to – sealed, metalled, un-metalled, unformed.
2.2 Access track requirements are identified.
Range includes but is not limited to
– two-wheel drive access, four-wheel drive light access, four-wheel drive heavy access, quad bike, dry/wet weather access, foot only access.
2.3
2.4
Culvert and water table condition is determined.
Bridge types are identified and inspected.
Range
Outcome 3
Inspect pole structures. includes but is not limited to – single/multiple span, suspension, girder (timber, steel, concrete), culvert, concrete or earth abutment, low-level crossing, footbridge.
Evidence requirements
3.1 Pole structure is inspected and defects identified.
Range includes but is not limited to
– pole verticality, excessive cross-arm tilt or bowing, inadequate foundation compaction or subsidence, step bolts too close to ground level, guy anchor and guy fence problems, earthing and bonding, pole tags (colour).
3.2 Concrete pole defects are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to
– cracks, chips, spalling and reinforcing corrosion.
3.3 Steel pole defects are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to – corrosion, dents or kinks, deformation, splits.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

NZQA registered unit standard
3.4
20412 version 3
Page 4 of 6
Wood pole defects are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to – decay, splitting, deterioration of repairs, excessive loose sapwood, fire hazards, pole caps.
3.5 Tower defects are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to – anti-climb frame requirements, steel damage that is of a serious and urgent nature, tower bolt defects, tower distortion from foundation settlement or from construction defects, tower vibration.
3.6 Insulators and line hardware defects are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to – broken disks, obsolete and mandatory replacement fittings, leaning of suspension insulators, electrical leakage.
3.7 Conductor and earth wire defects are identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to
– serious sag and tension differentials including line crossings, broken strands and bulging conductors; loose fittings – dampers, spacers and weights, earthwires sagging below the phase conductors, conductor movement with wind and impact on clearances, conductor movement with temperature change and impact on clearances, conductor to structure electrical clearances, earthwire bonding, foreign objects.
3.8 Conductor to ground clearance measurements are taken.
Range includes but is not limited to – minimum clearances for line voltage, measure conductor height.
3.9 The separation between buildings and conductors is measured, and the position in the span of the building is identified.
3.10 Other structure defects and environmental problems are identified and described.
Range structure defects include but are not limited to
– signage (including line structure danger, circuit phase identification, aerial identification, navigable waterways), unauthorised attachments to structures, television frequency issues, missing and loose bolts, bent steel, anti-climb frames; environmental problems include but are not limited to – ponding around the foundation, vegetation at base of structure, subsidence threatening foundations, excavations threatening foundations.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

NZQA registered unit standard 20412 version 3
Page 5 of 6
Outcome 4
Inspect vegetation near electrical lines.
Evidence requirements
4.1 Vegetation status near lines is identified and described.
Range includes but is not limited to – vegetation encroachment rules, asset owners rights and obligations, minimum separation distances, tree and conductor separation distances, tree fall arcs.
4.2 Tree growth patterns that may impact on an existing conductor/tree separation gap are identified and described.
4.3
4.4
Tree types, growth rates and stability factors are identified and described.
Tree measurements are taken.
Range includes but is not limited to
– tele pole, range finder, forest vernier clinometers.
Outcome 5
Report line patrol results.
Evidence requirements
5.1 Recorded information is complete, concise, and legible.
5.2
5.3
Information is recorded in the required format and filed in the required location.
Red or orange tagged wooden poles are reported.
Planned review date 31 December 2015
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process Version Date Last Date for Assessment
Registration
Rollover and
Revision
1
2
20 April 2004
21 November 2008
N/A
N/A
Review 3 19 November 2010 N/A
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference 0120
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do
.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020

NZQA registered unit standard 20412 version 3
Page 6 of 6
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, 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.
Consent requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP 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 Organisation info@esito.org.nz
if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2020