Introduction to the directive

Quercus Technical Services has drawn up uniform rules and regulations for electrical operations for the installation responsible, which can thus guarantee electrical safety.

Installation responsibility concerns the measures and regulations that establish and maintain installation integrity. It is therefore not important what we do, but how we do it. As a result, the regulations have no relation to operational business operations (the transformation process).

Installation integrity starts with the design where a responsible choice is made of material and components and their composition with settings that guarantee the installation integrity. During construction, there is the care of craftsmanship with a delivery with documented proof that the installation meets the design specifications on the one hand and on the other hand provides information for management and maintenance.

Operations and maintenance must maintain the status quo. Changes in the electrical configuration must then be manageable and re-justifiable. Within this entire process, we must determine the critical control factors and take precautions that ensure the integrity of our electrical installations.

Quercus Technical Services has developed operating regulations that are generic for every electrical operation. After all, electrical safety and installation integrity are generic. 

For each individual company size, status and circumstances apply. This information and control measures are company-specific and are treated confidential per company.

After the evaluation, the action plan and mutual agreement, Quercus will start the process of taking over installation responsibility.

The operating rules as laid down in the Qtivity system have been verified against the regulations and are mandatory for everyone to follow.

Deviations, comments and questions are welcome, idiosyncratic ignoring these regulations are prohibited! Quercus can therefore not be held responsible for actions outside these regulations. Ignoring the rules is reason for reporting to the company's legal representative.

What is installation responsibility?

The director of an organisation has the actual power to determine how business goals are achieved. In a policy statement "Corporate Social Responsibility" he gives substance to this. This makes the director responsible for preventing risks that may occur during business operations. 

If technical installations apply to the company's objectives, this also falls under the director's responsibility.

Responsibilities may be delegated. For the technical installations, this is the person who is held responsible for the assets. This also includes electrical installations and appliances.

For safe electrical operations, it is the installation responsible who receives this care delegated by or on behalf of the director. 

It is important that this delegation takes place on justifiable grounds. The person who delegates is ultimately not relieved of responsibility; it only gets a different content.

Mutual trust is an important starting point here. The person who delegates must convince himself of his ability and will. The person who accepts must be assured of support in the form of resources, information and education.

This means that a person/party can never be held liable if there is unwillingness or powerlessness.

The transfer of installation responsibility requires a two-sided statement based on policy and trust.

The appointed person/party is therefore the installation responsible and determines with the mandate from the statutory director which measures must be taken to guarantee the safety of the electrical installations. This gives the installation manager control over the design, construction, management and maintenance. This means that the installation manager determines the how and not necessarily the what happens within the electrical business operations.  

This therefore complies with the legal provisions stating that an installation or installation part that does not meet the requirements that can be set for it in the given circumstances, and therefore poses a danger to persons and property, is liable when this danger occurs.

It is therefore important that the installation manager has a clear policy on how to guarantee electrical safety. This policy regulates all control measures as well as a written instruction for persons who perform electrical work.

Professional competence in the chain of design, construction, installation, management and maintenance is therefore of paramount importance.

Subject and field of application

This standard contains the guidelines for the implementation of electrical installation responsibility by third parties whereby the contracting party ensures safe electrical operations.

This care consists of:

• investigation on the status of electrical installations by carrying out inspections,
• safe business operations by carrying out audits
• the qualification of employees through assessments
• the setup and implementation of the management  system
• assurance and maintaining results achieved
• a continuous improvement process.

By meeting the requirements set out in these guidelines, requirements of legislation and regulations are met.

Guidelines

1. Definitions
   In the context of installation responsibility the following definitions are applicable.
   
   Installation responsibility
   The obligation to develop, implement and maintain a methodology to proof control of installation safety compliance.
   
   Installation responsible
   The party or person who is on behalf of the statutory director in charge of execution of installation safety compliance.
   
   Electrical installation
   For the operation necessary electrical infrastructure and power supply to apparatus and systems.
   
   Commissioning
   Documented proof of compliance before initial operation.
   
   Operation and maintenance
   Facilitation of the transformation process with maintaining the status quo of the installation by first line maintenance and troubleshooting.
   
   Change management
   Control of changes during the operational stage.
   
   Modification
   Adjusting the installation to restore installation integrity or improve the installation.
   
   Test
   Validation of installation parts to check design functionality.
   
   Acting installation responsible management and maintenance
   Person or party that receives the mandate on behalf of the director of an organisation for the care of installation integrity and safety.
   
   Project
   The realisation of a new functional installation or the expansion of an installation for which a separate organisation must be set up.
   
   
2. Legislation - rules and regulations
   1. Legislation - rules and regulations concern the provisions that are not only determined by legislation but also by national and international standards, regulations of stakeholders and the provisions of the business owner.

   2. The organisation must have an overview of all requirements set by:

      1. the legislator,
         these concern the provisions in: the Civil Code concerning possession and ownership and unlawful act; the Criminal Code, the Economic Offences Act and the Working Conditions Legislation.
      2. the electrical standards
         these concern the standards for products, installation and work.
      3. the supplier
         these concern the requirements for installation and maintenance and to maintain installation integrity. In the event that the supplier also takes care of the installation and maintenance, this must be clearly traceable and identifiable recorded where the responsibility belongs.
      4.  the customer
         this concerns the user of electrical appliances and means for safe use.
      5. the business goals
         this concerns the own organisation that sets requirements for the safety of people and resources. This is often indicated in a policy statement.
      6. Third parties
         this concerns outsiders who, from a certain interest, set requirements for electrical business operations.
   3. The consequences of non-compliance with these provisions must be recorded in a risk inventory and evaluation. 
      
      
3. Transfer of installation responsibility

   1. For the transfer of installation responsibility,a two-sided declaration is required.

      This transfer must be traceable from the director of the organisation.

   2. Transfer of installation responsibility should be based on the will of acceptance, the capacity and competence of the party or person accepting the responsibility.
   3. In the event of a transfer,the person responsible for the installation must be enabled to exercise the power that the transferor could exercise himself.
   4. With transfer,a plan is required for how the installation responsibility will be shaped.
   5. For the purpose of electrical safety, the installation responsible sets up a forum where current safety issues are discussed. 
   6. Meetings are reported with actions.
   7. Periodically, but at least once a year, an independent and impartial expert carries out an audit on behalf of the director.
      
      
4. Designation of focal points

   1. In the event of transfer of installation responsibility to a third party, the company shall appoint a representative who shall:

      1. Formally on behalf of the director receives the mandate to decide on the design, construction, management and maintenance.
      2. Has substantive knowledge of electrical operations
      3. Has sufficient experience within the organisation.

   2. Upon acceptance of installation responsibility, the director of the contracting party appoints an installation manager per domain who:

      1. On level EQF 5 possesses knowledge of electrical energy technology
      2. Has at least 3 years of experience in the field
      3. Has managerial quality
      4. Successfully completed the courses IV/WV HV/LV and the IV masterclass.
         
         
5. Demarcation of domain

   1. In order to determine the area of responsibility, the extent of the installations concerned must be determined.

      This concerns:

      1. The connection with the power supplying company
      2. Exclusion of installation parts
   2. At the connection of the Power Company, both Power Company and company have access to the same business premises or in the case of operation and maintenance, the ownership lies with the other party.
   3. Exclusion of installation parts applies if the company has outsourced certain installation parts. Outsourcing often takes place if these are not part of the core activities of the company.
      
      
6. Installation breakdown

   1. For the control of electrical operations, the whole of the installations must be mapped out and determined for each installation part which criteria it must meet or where the responsibility for the management and maintenance lies.

      The following shall be determined for each main component:

      1. What the acceptance criteria are
      2. Who is responsible for management and maintenance
      3. What the conditions are for outsourcing work
      4. Who should appoint persons to carry out electrical work
      5. What risks can be allocated
      6. How the risk assessment and evaluation is carried out What the inspection regime is.

      Appendix A contains an overview of an installation structure.
      
      

7. Competency management

   1. All employees who perform electrical work within the domain must be competent for their assigned tasks.

   2. A professional competence profile with competence matrix must be drawn up for all activities.

   3. All employees must be trained and retrained according to the matrix in order to maintain knowledge and skills.

   4. All employees who perform electrical work must have a designation in writing.
      
      

8. Designation policy

   1. The organisation must have a policy plan on how electrical safety and installation integrity can be guaranteed.

      The policy plan shall include at least the following:

      1. Scope of the policy plan
      2. Policy statement of the director
      3. Relationship between electrical operations and regulations
      4. The overall safety policy of the organisation
      5. The related electrical safety policy
      6. The formal transfer of installation responsibility The policy plan of the installation responsible
      7. The installation structure with determining criteria
      8. Access to electrical premises
      9. The electrical organisation
      10. Electrical safety committee design
      11. Necessary procedures that cover the critical control factors of the business

   2. The policy plan should:

      1. be informative and accessible to the employees involved
      2. provide guidelines on the work to be carried out
      3. contain forms and applications for the execution of electrical operations.
         
         
9. Acceptance criteria

   1. For each installation part, the organisation must determine the acceptance criteria. These acceptance criteria should be related to the applicable laws and regulations.

      This applies to:

      1. The design
         for this is that the design must comply with the safety that must be set during use.
      2. The construction
         Competent personnel who have been clearly instructed on the work to be carried out and a verification plan to check the correct installation
      3. The commissioning of installations
         Before commissioning, the installation must be tested and documented evidence that the installation complies with the design specifications.
      4. Operation
         During operation, operating activities take place for the benefit of the overall business operations. If this concerns electrical work, protocols must be drawn up for this.
      5. Maintenance
         Maintenance should be based on installation integrity. Any change should be excluded.
      6. Modification
         Each modification serves a purpose. That objective must be clearly defined.
      7. Additional functionality
         This is subject to the condition that it must fit into the overall configuration and must not jeopardise overall safety.

      Remark

      Extra attention should be paid to the criteria of changes that take place after the design at the realisation as well as the use.
      
      

10. Inspections

    1. Safety inspections must be carried out periodically on the electrical installations. This inspection shall comply with the following provisions:

       1. The installation manager must formulate the inspection objective
       2. Implementation should be carried out by independent, impartial and competent persons.
       3. The inspector must submit a clear inspection plan with the methodology
       4. During the inspection, the inspectors must comply with the company-specific provisions of the installation manager.
       5. The inspection results shall be clearly drawn up, categorised, traceable and traceable.
       6. The inspector delivers his report with the distribution of structural and incidental shortcomings.
       7. Shortcomings must be substantiated with background of cause.
       8. The inspection carried out is subject to an evaluation interview with the installation responsible.
          
          
11. Testing

    1. A test plan shall be drawn up for the safe operation of critical installation parts. This test plan shall meet the following requirements:

       1. Construction and installation
          During the construction of electrical installation parts, a plan must be in place for testing before they are installed. These tests are performed before delivery or before they are installed. During the installation phase, sufficient testing or control moments are built in to ensure that the installation requirements are met.
       2. Emergency power supply
          In the event that the power supply of the public grid is lost for a short period of time or for a longer period of time, the organisation must have a plan in place to safely deal with emergency power situations. This plan includes at least a training program and a periodic functional test (going through the dark).
       3. Safety critical items
          The safety critical items of each installation have been mapped out. These safety critical items must be tested according to a preconceived plan. (This also includes the so-called Emergency Shut Down (ESD) and Alarm Shut Down (ASD) tests)
       4. Emergency stops
          For emergency stops, there must be a plan to ensure their operation. 
          
          
12. Contracting

    1. In the case of work that is outsourced, the responsibility for safety and compliance lies with the contracting party.

    2. Projects and modifications
       Before starting work, the contractor shall submit a verification plan with the approval of the installation responsible. The contractor must appoint a project installation responsible who requires the approval of the installation responsible.

    3. Operation and maintenance
       If operation and maintenance is outsourced, the contractor must inform himself of the instructions of the installation responsible and formally comply with them. For the operation and maintenance contract, an acting operation and maintenance installation responsible must be formally appointed by the holder of the maintenance contract.

    4. Reference in contracts
       In construction contracts, articles 12.1 and 12.2 must be clearly mentioned.

Appendix A