Check and validate a high voltage switching program

What is going on

Network Controller Ana Kovac has written switching program SP-26-0921 for the BUN-12 outage on Tuesday 16 September to replace pole 119. The program has eighteen steps: it transfers load to feeder BUN-14 by closing ABS-130, opens ABS-118 and ABS-122 to isolate the section, proves de-energised and applies earths at poles 118 and 122, then issues access authority EAA-26-2210 and restores in reverse. The network diagram shows a 22 kV spur to a dairy substation between poles 120 and 121 with its own drop out fuses, and a recent operation record shows ABS-130 was left open for a fault last month. Customer notification says 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Your brief

Independently check the switching program against the network diagram, the access request and the switching procedure, identify any step that is wrong, missing or out of sequence, decide whether to validate or return it, and record your check in the switching program register with the reasons for your decision.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the high voltage switching program procedure and the switching program template, and review SP-26-0921, access request EAA-26-2210 and work order WO-26-4410.
• Trace the program on the network diagram step by step, confirming each apparatus identification exists and that the load transfer through ABS-130 occurs before ABS-118 opens.
• Check that the isolation points and the earths at poles 118 and 122 fully bound the work area requested in EAA-26-2210, and consider whether the dairy spur and its drop out fuses need to be isolated or earthed.
• Check the proving and earthing steps follow the correct order and that each earth step identifies the pole number for read back under the new rule.
• Check that the access authority issue and cancellation are numbered steps and that restoration does not begin before cancellation.
• Confirm the outage window in the customer notification matches the program timing and that the load on BUN-14 after transfer is within its rating.
• Record your check in the switching program register: validate the program if it is correct, or return it with the step numbers and the reasons if it is not.
• Write a short note to the controller summarising the check and any change required.

What someone in this role would produce

• Marked up copy of the switching program with your check on every step
• Switching program register entry with the validation decision and reasons
• Note to the controller summarising the findings