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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Confirm scope of work
   • Examine identified work scope (e.g. what, where, who, when, why, duration and frequency)
   • Confirm purpose of identified work
   • Identify plant and equipment involved
   • Negotiate any conflicts/inconsistencies with relevant stakeholders
   • Identify possible need for temporary lifting of any isolations
2. Develop isolation philosophy for work
   • Apply relevant isolation philosophy/strategy, including type of/hierarchy of isolation and lock out/tag out
   • Determine implications of isolation
   • Identify physical limits of affected plant and equipment
   • Check suitability and effectiveness of existing isolation procedures
   • Assess possible boundaries for isolations
   • Seek local knowledge for similar isolations and preparations
   • Identify available/permissible preparation strategies, including purging fluids and techniques
   • Draft strategies for isolation and preparation
   • Communicate, as appropriate, with stakeholders
   • Negotiate isolation and preparation conflicts
   • Prepare isolation philosophy for work
3. Manage hazards
   • Identify existing hazards of plant, process and materials
   • Identify hazards associated with performing the isolations and preparation
   • Identify hazards associated with purging/flushing/venting materials
   • Draft strategies for controlling any releases
   • Estimate required preparation durations taking into account factors, such as starting conditions, safe rates of change (pressure, temperature), volumes and pressures required
   • Make recommendations for improvement in accordance with procedures
   • Liaise with technical experts as required
   • Specify types of isolations and locations of isolations required
   • Specify controls to bring hazards to ‘as low as reasonably practicable’ (ALARP)
4. Plan required isolation and preparation
   • Determine required sequencing of all steps
   • Develop isolation procedure
   • Develop preparation procedure
   • Develop decontamination procedures
   • Develop required procedures for plant supplementary systems
   • Verify procedures against relevant drawings and the plant
   • Identify and schedule required pre-work
   • Determine competencies required to complete planned isolations and preparation
   • Plan required de-isolation and preparation for return to service
   • Discuss proposed plans with relevant stakeholders
   • Complete required documentation
5. Obtain authority to execute plan
   • Obtain approval to implement the isolation and preparation plan
   • Obtain approval to implement the de-isolation and preparation for return to service plan
   • Acquire hardware and resources for isolation and de-isolation and preparation for work and return to service

Range Statement

This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included.
Regulatory framework	The latest version of all legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice and Australian/international standards, or the version specified by the local regulatory authority, must be used, and include one or more of the following: Government of Western Australia, Department of Commerce, Guidance note – Isolation of plant, 2010 (or similar state regulation) National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) requirements, where relevant Major Hazard Facility (MHF) Licence to operate, where relevant legislative requirements, including work health and safety (WHS) industry codes of practice and guidelines environmental regulations and guidelines Australian and other standards licence and certification requirements All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence
Hazards	Hazards include one or more of the following: electricity gas (flammable, toxic and anoxic) gases and liquids under pressure structural hazards structural collapse equipment failures industrial (machinery, equipment and product) equipment or product mass plant services (steam, condensate and cooling water) limited head spaces or overhangs working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or in environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours flammability and explosivity hazardous products and materials unauthorised personnel sharp edges, protrusions or obstructions slippery surfaces, spills or leaks extreme weather other hazards that might arise
Procedures	All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures. Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, include one or more of the following: emergency procedures work instructions standard operating procedures (SOPs) safe work method statements (SWMS) formulas/recipes batch sheets temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant
Determining competencies required	Determining competencies required for isolation and preparation includes consideration of the need for skilled/qualified/licensed personnel in the areas of the following: electrical (normal) electrical high voltage and hazardous area electrical isolation/de-isolation radiation heights mobile plant plumbing mechanical fitting permit preparation
Isolation procedures	Isolation procedures include one or more of the following: isolation processes isolation list multiple isolations temporary lifting of isolations, when and if required interlocks and will include consideration of: isolation alternatives conflicts of isolation
Verifying procedures	Verifying procedures include one or more of the following: checking existing documents which have been used are accurate, current and complete checking planned isolation points do exist, are accessible, and are suitable for the isolation planned having a history of providing the isolation desired
Relevant drawings	Relevant drawings include one or more of the following: piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) process flow diagrams (PFDs) process flow sheets (PFSs) process engineering flow sheets (PEFs)
Required pre-work	Required pre-work includes one or more of the following: scaffolding building up/depletion of inventories/work in progress (WIP) obtaining of supplies identification tags lock out kits
Required documentation	Required documentation includes one or more of the following: drawings procedures marking up existing documents punch lists vendor documents/engineering specifications documentation required by the site work control system (e.g. permits) Documents will conform to the site requirements and document control systems, and will be paper-based, electronic or in another approved form.
Authority to execute	Authority to execute includes both the authorisation to proceed and the timing of that execution. Authority will be obtained through the channels required by the organisation/facility. The level of authority required will vary for different types of work, different types of isolation and different plants/facilities.

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Performance Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include the ability to:

plan, prepare and develop plant preparation and isolation philosophy/activities for a particular activity

arrange resources as required

communicate effectively with stakeholders, including manufacturers, engineering personnel, designers, contractors and maintenance and other company personnel

identify hazards and risks and apply risk control procedures

complete written/electronic documentation.

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Knowledge Evidence

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:

all items on a schematic of the system and functions of each

principles of operation of items of equipment in the system

process parameters and limits, (e.g. temperature, pressure, flow and pH) and plant integrity limits

typical requirements for preparation to ensure that plant and equipment is in a safe and appropriate condition for the required work, including:

draining

purging

inerting

decontaminating

cleaning

ventilating

controlling atmosphere (e.g. to ensure it is breathable, and is not within the flammable range)

adjusting temperature to make a workable environment

adjusting pressure (usually to atmospheric)

ensuring adequate access and egress

implications of isolation in both the area of the work and upstream and downstream, including:

upstream and downstream process implications

ability to prepare plant once isolated

integrity of plant once isolated and prepared

methods for controlling releases to the environment, including:

preventing any release

containing any release

recovery and reuse or disposal of any release.

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