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Title / Maintain substation earthing and bonding
Level / 3 / Credits / 3
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: interpret design drawings and installation requirements of earthing and bonding standards;maintain earth mats and bonding to equipment used in substations; and inspect earthing and bonding system.
Classification / Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply -Power System Maintenance
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard is intended forworkplace assessment. The range statements and evidence requirements across the unit standard can be applied according to industry specific equipment, procedures, and processes.
2Performance and work practices in relation to the outcomes and evidence requirements must comply with all current legislation, especially the Electricity Act 1992 and any subsequent amendments, and any regulations, codes of practice recognised under that statute, 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 the latest version of, Safety Manual – Electricity Industry (SM-EI) Wellington:
3References
AS/NZS 3000:Electrical Installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules);
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and amendments;
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 - Schedule 2 Electrical codes of practice and official standards;
The New Zealand Electrical Codes of Practice(NZECP) (Ministry of Economic Development, ISSN 0114-0663)
Electricity Engineers’ Association.
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.
6The outcomes of this unit standard could be meet by carrying out an installation of a substation earth matt and bonding
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Interpret design drawings and installation requirements of substation earthing and bonding.
Evidence requirements
1.1The earthing and bonding design drawings are interpreted.
1.2The earthing and bonding installation standards are interpreted.
Rangeincludes – knowledge and verification of understanding of the requirements of NZECP 35, AS/NZS 3000: Section 5 and amendments.
1.3The drawings and standards are translated into practical installation requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – quantities and size of bonding conductors, distances, fixtures and excavation requirements, installation work plan.
Outcome 2
Carryout maintenance of earth mats and bonding to equipment used in substations.
Evidence requirements
2.1The required materials, plant, tools and resources are assembled in terms of client installation or maintenance requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – the selection of suitable moulds to suit the conductors if exothermic welding (cadweld) is to be used for jointing and terminating conductors, welding tools, and materials.
2.2The earth mat maintenanceis completed to the work plan.
2.3All bus system equipment is bonded to the earth mat.
Rangemay include but is not limited to checks of all earthing bonds to ensure acceptability of connection to the earth mat.
Outcome 3
Inspect earthing and bonding system.
Evidence requirements
3.1Each item of bus equipment is bonded to meet the requirements of the earthing and bonding standards under the regulations.
3.2Operational safety earthing tail clampsand bus bonding points are located at operationally suitable positions to allow compliance with industry electrical safety rules.
Rangemay include but is not limited to: providing suitably located bus bondingpoints as specified for operational requirements.
3.3The earth mat resistance is checked to ensure it meets specification requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to: compliance with NZECP 35 in regard to step and touch voltages resistance
3.4 Specialist earthing requirements for substations aredescribed.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to: operators mat, operator equipment handles.
Planned review date / 31 December 2020Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 17 March 2016 / 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 at if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Infrastructure ITOSSB Code 101813 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018