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Title / Carryout vegetation and tree work near powerlines andunderground power cables
Level / 4 / Credits / 8
Purpose / 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 nearpower lines andunderground 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
1This 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.
2Safety 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.
3Performance 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 theHealth 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
PO Box 1245
Hamilton 3240.
4The phrase in accordance with industry requirements is implicit in all outcomes and evidence requirements in this unit standard.
5Definitions
Industryrequirementsinclude 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.
6This 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 Practicefor 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 3998:1989Recommendations for Tree work is available from Standards New Zealand, Private Bag 2439, Wellington 6140 –
ANSI Z133.1-2006American National Standards for Arboricultural Operations – Safety Requirements is available from Wes Spur–
Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management, 2012 available from the NewZealand Transport Agency –
7Evidence gained for evidence requirement 1.2 can be generatedin a simulated electricity environment due tooperational difficulties in trainees being able to talk to network operators.
8Assessment 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.
Evidence requirements
1.1Documentation is completed and checked by the site supervisor.
Rangemay includes but is not limited to – hazard identification sheets, job or time sheets, maintenance checklists, procedure forms.
1.2Network is logged onto and network operator is advised of work details prior to commencement.
Rangeincludes 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.
1.3Equipment is selected, checked for safe operation, and used according to relevant codes of practice and company and/or asset owner’s procedures.
Rangeequipment 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.
1.4Completed vegetation and tree work meets the site specifications, company and/or asset owner’sstandards, and relevant code of practice requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – manual work and elevated working platforms (EWP), side trimming, maximum sag, fall distance, over the top, felling.
1.5Job is finished according to site specifications and company and/or asset owners procedures.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – site cleaned up, work authority returned at the end of the job, log-off completed.
1.6Reporting 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.
Outcome 2
Demonstrate emergency procedures.
Evidence requirements
2.1Emergency procedures are demonstrated as specified in company procedures and by the network owner or network operator.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – near miss, damaged lines, damaged hardware, injured personnel, inadvertent contact with climber and EWP.
2.2Services to contact in the event of an accident or emergency are listed with contact details and method.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – network owner, contractor, ambulance service, fire service, OSH, police, MBIE.
2.3Aerial rescues are demonstrated according to company procedures.
Rangetwo and three person rescues using EWP.
2.4First aid procedures are demonstrated according to company procedures and site specifications.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – burns, unconscious victim, cuts, slips, tripsand falls.
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 AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 20 November 2014 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0120
This CMR can be accessed at
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.
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 you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Infrastructure Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101813 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2019