Level 1 ASPs

What is Happening?

In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, some Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are making changes to annual refresher training for ASPs in our area. They include:

• immediate pause on training delivery until a later date
• reduced training (knowledge only, but no practical) or
• reduced class sizes to meet social distancing requirements.

These changes may impact your ability to satisfy annual training requirements to maintain your authorisation.

Essential Energy has an expectation that companies will make all reasonable endeavours to have workers attend refresher training at, or prior to, the expiry of their training. However, we understand that training through your preferred supplier may not be an option at this time.

Where this is not reasonably possible, as a fall-back option Essential Energy will temporarily extend the current one-month grace period to three months across all statutory training.

Please note that workers must have at least completed knowledge-only training with their RTO, with the expectation that a practical session will be undertaking before the three-month grace period ends.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

Essential Energy is providing access to Network layouts and asset data for all our customers to help enable:

• Instant access to a range of overhead and underground network data
• Visibility of network routes with multiple base map functionality
• Supporting customers to self-serve the information they require and make informed choices.

Background

Access to Essential Energy’s Network layouts and associated data has been requested by numerous customers and organisations over the years. Specifically, there has been an ongoing need to enable self-service network information to Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) and Electrical Contractors (ECs) performing contestable works across the Essential Energy network. The NSW Independent Bushfire Enquiry also requires visibility of critical assets whereby “Fires Near Me” can be overlaid to enable real time risk mitigation.

What is it?

Access to the Network Information Portal will be available via Essential Energy’s Website. Upon accepting the Terms and Conditions you can simply start drilling into our network with standard search features. Specific network information is obtained by clicking on the asset to enable the creation of an email request. A demonstration video is available on our website showing how to navigate the portal and find/request the information you need.

Benefits

The Network Information Portal will help enable customers to make more informed choices whilst reducing internal workload that has traditionally serviced this need. Councils and other government organisations will benefit such as enabling desktop planning through to network visibility for critical asset protection.

The self-serve functionality provides ASPs and ECs with access to data such as pole, cable and conductor data, as well as network routes, enabling better informed customer conversations and reducing enquiries.

What happens next?

Following the Stage 1 Pilot programme, Stage 2 will provide additional enhancements and functionality which will be communicated once complete.

What do you need to do?

1. Watch the demonstration video and visit Network Information Portal via Essential Energy’s Website and start exploring our network.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

As the COVID situation continues to evolve, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued assistance to help by complying with NSW Health requirements as well as supporting Essential Energy in our COVID response.

ASPs travelling from Greater Sydney to work on Essential Energy's network must adhere to the NSW Government’s current COVID-19 rules and restrictions.

Before you commence work on our network, you must provide evidence on site that the NSW Health requirements have been met.

If evidence of the requirements is not provided, Essential Energy has the right to cancel the outage.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

An on-call crew were called to a wires down job and discovered a split round Low Voltage (LV) pillar box exposing live LV conductors

Customers onsite reported two children had received electric shocks while playing near the infrastructure. Parents of children were advised to seek medical attention for their children.

Essential Energy workers immediately made safe at the work site and placed a new pillar lid over the top of the damaged pillar and glued in place as a temporary repair.

What do you need to do?

1. Download and review Safety Brief – SB-985_ASP Damaged Split Round Pillar Exposing Live Low Voltage Conductors located on the Document Library and Essential Engagement.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

In the most recent update to the Standard Contestable (Approved) Material List CEOM7004, a number of items have been removed. CLAH (Current Limiting Arcing Horns) surge arresters have been discontinued by the manufacturer and following a review of their requirement, CLAH surge arresters are to be withdrawn from Essential Energy Covered Conductor Thick (CCT) constructions.

Other associated equipment used in conjunction with CLAH surge arresters will also be withdrawn. The CCT construction drawings in Section CEOM7303 of the Overhead Construction Manual have been updated to reflect the changes.

The Standard Contestable (Approved) Material List CEOM7004 has also been updated and the associated material has been removed. For all other updates please make yourself familiar with Issue 55 of the AML.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above construction drawings and the AML on the Document Library.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

To enable Essential Energy to transition to a new, upgraded financial system in mid-August 2021, we need to pause the issuing of invoices from Essential Energy between 21 July and 16 August 2021.

Invoices will recommence on 16 August 2021 with Essential Energy’s new bank account details and will be sent via your company’s nominated email address listed in our system. To ensure we have the correct email address for your company, please email accounts.receivable@essentialenergy.com.au with your company name and preferred email address.

What do you need to do?

1. Email accounts.receivable@essentialenergy.com.au with your company name and preferred email address.
2. Ensure your Essential Energy’s new bank details are updated in your system from 16 August 2021 (new details can be found on invoices issued from this date).
3. All invoices will pause between 21 July 2021 and 16 August 2021.
4. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

To enable Essential Energy to transition to a new, upgraded financial system in mid-August 2021, we need to pause External Sales quotations and orders between 10 July 2021 and 16 August 2021.

No External Sales orders or quotations will be processed during this period.

What do you need to do?

1. Please ensure your jobs and required orders are planned ahead to cover a minimum four-week period.
2. All orders covering this period must be submitted by Friday, 9 July 2021.
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is Happening?

Essential Energy has produced a new procedure for its workers providing guidance on handling Overhead Conductors whilst on the ground.

ASP Companies should review their own Safety Management Systems (SMS) to ensure they adequately address the hazards for workers who may handle overhead conductors from the ground, even under Access Permit conditions.

What do you need to do?

1. Download and review Safety Brief – SB-982_ASP Handling OH Conductors Whilst on the Ground on the Document Library and Essential Engagement.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is happening?

After some recent incidents and inquiries from the ASP forums Essential Energy would like to inform Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) of their responsibilities

• Part 3 of the Electricity Supply Act 1995 (the Act), Section 31A, a person who provides contestable network services must be accredited, in accordance with the Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014, to provide those services (an ASP).
• The NSW Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme Rules (Scheme Rules) details the requirements for a Company/Business to be accredited and a worker to be registered under a Company/Business accreditation.
• Once an individual and or company (Business) is accredited as an ASP, any person engaged to carry out contestable work on behalf of that ASP must be:
  • Registered with the ASP Scheme, and
  • Authorised by the relevant local distributor to perform contestable network service.

Accreditation is not transferable. Therefore, if an ASP changes to operate under a new ACN, the new company will be required to make a new application to be accredited under the ASP Scheme.

All ASPs are required to register with the Scheme any personnel who will be performing work on or near existing electricity network on behalf of the ASP and for which the ASP is accredited.

An ASP must notify the Scheme of changes in staff. Personnel, including employees and sub-contractors, will not be able to be authorised by the local electricity distributor until they have been registered by the Scheme.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above and ensure all workers are registered and authorised before undertaking contestable works.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is Happening?

The regulator mounting platform assembly Cat No 115526 item 3 bracket below has been changed to improve the bolted connection design.

The HV regulator construction drawings in Section CEOM7104 of the Overhead Construction Manual have been updated for this change and use 4 x M24 kingbolts in place of the previously used threaded rod to attach the brackets to the pole.

The latest construction drawings are now available on Essential Energy’s Document Library.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au