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Requirement for Responsible Electrical Person (REP)

Muritala

In the offshore oil and gas industry, the role of the Responsible Electrical Person (REP) is commonly seen. I was wondering if there are any standards or regulations that mandate the appointment of this role within the electrical team.

I am asking because I am considering a scenario where you have a normally unmanned platform that is only occasionally visited by a small crew of technicians. If your Electrical Technician is competent and authorised to work on the maximum voltage level present on the platform (415VAC in this case), would you still be required to have a separate person for the REP role? Or could the REP role be combined with the Electrical Technician's duties, with the intention that they handle all electrical isolations and operations whenever the crew visits the platform?

The asset cannot afford to allocate more than one position for the electrical team, so I would appreciate it if anyone could direct me to the standards or regulations that define the role, requirements, and responsibilities of a REP and if whether or not it's mandatory to have have one onsite. 

  • +1

    Hello, I am both a lead electrical technician and REP. It all depends on the company safety rules. People factor in Aberdeen run REP courses. https://www.pfc-ltd.com/courses/responsible-electrical-person

  • 0

    If you encourage lone working you are kicking a can down the road.  It should be a team that attend site/unmanned platform for multiple reasons.  The first being safety of the site and the workers.  Both of which are paramount.

    Consider a lone worker who becomes ill and the location is remote with poor or no mobile phone or data coverage, even with a multi sim carrier card. 

  • 0 in reply to David Horne 82

    Thanks David

  • 0 in reply to Sergio Fernandez

    Thanks, Sergio. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. This isn't a lone working scenario. I just want to confirm if there is any industrial or national guidance that mandates the requirement for the REP role and whether there is guidance that describes the role of REP.

  • 0

    Hello Muritla,

    You didn't mention the geographic location therefore I will assume you are referring to oil and gas installations within the UK Continental Shelf.  In this case the overarching rules to comply with are the Health and Safety at Work act and the Electricity at Work Regulations.  The EAWR includes many regulations and requirements, of which one is personnel competency.  However these are not prescriptive in terms of training and experience.

    The norm in the UKCS is for the dutyholder or operator to create "Electrical Safety Rules" which include specific rules per company, all operators have their own set.  They tend to include the descriptions and roles and responsibilities of personnel.  Offshore operators usually always name the main electrical tech the RPE, sometime REP.  They are fully responsible for the electrical safety and operation of the platfrom.  Under their command they will have some delegates and direct reports, Senior Authorised Person, Authorised Person.  
    The REP tends to be signed off by the Lead Electrical Engineer, usually a process over a given period of time to asses and assure the person is competent.  The rules are written at company level and not within IEC standards etc.  
    Ultimately the REP is responsible for any work permit requiring electrical work, they must sign or use a delegate under their command to satisfy that the work is safe to commence.  It could be the case that a SAP could be attending the unattended platform but only if company rules allow so and the person has been authorised and signed off.  Its down to the company to decide and to comply with the operating procedures. 
  • 0 in reply to Andrew McGeachie

    Thanks so much for your detailed response. Very comprehensive and it clears all my doubts. 

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