Isolation and Energisation

• Maintaining, servicing, cleaning, repairing, removing, or modifying plant or equipment
• Work on/around pipes or lines
• Installing or modifying electrical wiring
• Fault and/or problem finding
• Commissioning
• Removing faulty equipment
• Working on or near equipment with energy sources i.e. work on potentially moving parts
• Any other task that may involve exposure of personnel to any hazards or stored energy

Where plant or equipment cannot be isolated, methods to prevent accidental operation must be implemented. Work must be carried out under controlled procedures to prevent risk to the health and safety of the person performing the work.

Identification Of Services and Energy Sources

Identification of overhead, underground, and concealed services are to be in accordance with the requirements in the Underground and Overhead Services procedure. Electrical work on or around both energised and deenergised services is to be conducted in accordance with the Electrical Supply and Equipment Procedure.

All energy sources need to be identified before isolation can commence. Energy sources include:

• Electrical (electrical power supply, static charges, batteries, capacitors)
• Mechanical (mechanical drives, moving and rotating machinery)
• Pressure (compressed air, vacuum, hydraulics)
• Gravitational (counterweights, vehicle runaways, hung-up material, etc.)
• Potential (springs, structural strain)
• Heat/radiation (pipes, plant, laser)
• Chemical (pipes)

Planning and Communication

Asset owners must be consulted with prior to performing any isolation or de-energisation works. Subcontractors performing isolation, de-energisation, or re-energisation work that could be considered high risk must provide a SWMS developed by a competent person. All workers involved in the work must be trained and signed onto the SWMS as well as any accompanying permits required by Hansen Yuncken, client or asset owners. HY required permits are to be issued in accordance with the Works Permit procedure.

Prior to commencing isolation/de-energisation/or energisation works, SWMS, plans, and relevant permits must document the following:

• The nature of the work being undertaken
• Tools and equipment to be used
• Method for lock out/tag out
• Communication/consultation with asset owners
• Identification of isolation points
• Energy sources which may reactivate the plant or equipment
• Worker competencies
• Supervisory measures
• Exclusion/restricted work zones
• Specific requirements for (re)energisation or commissioning

SWMS and plans/procedures specific to the work being undertaken are to be developed by competent persons and in consultation with the workers performing the works, and any workers who may be potentially at risk in relation to the work i.e. working nearby.

HY’s preference is to use the subcontractors’ own energisation permit template if available. HY’s energisation permit template can be used if deemed appropriate for the work, or if the subcontractor doesn’t have their own template. Any energisation permits in use are to be completed for the specific work taking place and must be approved by HY prior to energisation.

The nature of isolation, expected duration, and expected impact is to be communicated to anyone who may be affected by the isolation, including workers, stakeholders, and neighbouring premises/residents. 

Consideration should be given to work on roughing in or finishing off services as ITPs may be required depending on the work being performed.

Request for energisation

The handover of any energy source from one subcontractor to another must be coordinated by Hansen Yuncken through a formal request to energise made by the receiving subcontractor. The request must include details of the specific energisation work, conditions, and intended date of works to be completed. The energisation is to be carried out by competent personnel who hold appropriate licenses/tickets as required (i.e., electrical services). Once approved, the energy source will be energised under an energisation permit in accordance with the isolation and energisation procedure.

Competencies and Training

Workers performing work on isolated/deenergised plant or equipment are to hold any appropriate licences and be trained and competent to carry out works. Qualifications must be verified as per the Site Induction procedure.

Electrical work, whether energised or de-energised, must only be carried out by appropriately licensed or registered electrical workers and be in accordance with the Electrical Supply and Equipment Procedure.

Working On or Near De-Energised Plant and Equipment

Lock Out and Tag Out (LOTO) 

The lock-out process is the most effective isolation procedure. The process is as follows:

• Shut down the machinery and equipment
• Identify all energy sources and other hazards
• Identify all isolation points
• Isolate all energy sources
• Control or de-energise all stored energy
• Lock out all isolation points
• Tag machinery controls, energy sources and other hazards, and
• Test by ‘trying’ to reactivate the plant without exposing the tester or others to risk.

All energised plant, equipment and conductors should be regarded as live until isolated and proven to be successfully de-energised (Test Before You Touch/Test for Dead). 

All testing equipment must be verified as operating correctly (i.e. test the tester). 

Work on de-energised equipment, which may involve work near adjacent energised conductors can only proceed if that part of the installation to be worked on is isolated and any exposed conductors in the immediate work area are either: 

• De-energised and isolated 
• Separated by design or segregated and protected with insulated barricades or insulated shrouding or insulated material to prevent against inadvertent or direct contact. 

Do not assume that equipment is de-energised after isolation. Testing must be done prior to work commencing. 

If de-energised plant or equipment produces residual heat, it should be allowed to cool completely before commencing work.

Isolation Devices 

When isolating energy sources, assigned individual locks are to be applied to isolation points with a tag detailing who placed the lock and reason for the isolation. Devices used to isolate plant or equipment are to be suitable and effective for locking out the isolation point. Devices include:

• Isolation locks:
  • Isolating officer locks (yellow)
  • Personal Isolation locks (red)
  • Equipment locks (blue)
• Switches with built in locks
• Lock out circuit breakers
• Fuses and valves
• Chains
• Safety lock out jaws/hasps