It has been a long running debate in the ROV industry as to whether someone who is required to isolate an ROV prior to maintenance should have an electrical background, qualifications, and experience.
Whilst it would be desirable, the fact is that, occasionally, an ROV team may not have a person with an electrical background amongst their personnel, so the answer to this is no.
This is one of the factors which led MTCS to develop the ROV High Voltage Course.
The course is suitable for any members of the ROV team and we would suggest there are benefits to all ROV personnel undertaking this training.
However, the competence certification outcome will depend on the operational and technical experience of the individual. For example, a relatively inexperienced team member would not be eligible to be assessed for a Certificate of Competence in High Voltage.
The course is designed to make all team members aware of the safety factors associated with High Voltage, and also the process of isolating the system. It ensures that employers are compliant with HSE requirements in that they are ensuring all employees are suitably trained in hazardous activities.
Technical Module
The course does include a technical module which is optional for people wishing to understand technical concepts of High Voltage in more detail.
Whilst the technical module does not form part of the final exam, it is a useful module to take if you are from a non-electrical background, or simply what to refresh your knowledge of electrical power systems.
We consider it impossible to train a person with no electrical background the concepts of High Voltage Electrical principles in a two-day classroom or online equivalent course. We could not give anyone a sufficient breadth of knowledge to give them a formal qualification in electrical systems.
Assessment
The MTCS ROV High Voltage Awareness Course includes an assessment of knowledge by a multiple-choice exam, and also a practical exercise whereby the participant is required to demonstrate that they can isolate an ROV system under supervision.
The practical assessment can be completed offshore or in base and must be witnessed by a suitably competent person. More details can be found in our Insight article ‘Definitions of Witnesses and Assessors’
To conclude, all personnel, regardless of technical background, are required to have some familiarity with High Voltage Safety prior to working on an ROV (powered by High Voltage i.e. in excess of 1KV).
The MTCS ROV High Voltage Course satisfies this requirement.
