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home Engineering and manufacturing
Engineering maintenance technician - Mechanical engineering maintenance technician

Engineering maintenance technician - Mechanical engineering maintenance technician

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 3 - Technical Occupation

Conducting maintenance of engineering plant, equipment and systems.

Reference: OCC1426C

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Alpek Polyester, Conoco Phillips, Digital Realty, Drax, EDF Energy, Enfinium, Enva, Evo Energy, Exxon Mobil, Finning, Green Energy, Exxon Mobil, Husqvarna, Ineos, Jaguar Land Rover, MoD, National Grid, NHS, Orsted, RWE, Sellafield Sites, Siemens, SSE, Sterling PSL, Swizzels Matlow, Tesco, Tronox, Veolia, Westinghouse.

Summary

Engineering maintenance technicians work in a range of industries that use plant, equipment and systems. This includes energy, leisure entertainment, manufacturing, processing, and utilities companies. The working environments vary across the industries.

This is a core and options apprenticeship. An apprentice must be trained and assessed against the core and one option. The options are:

  • electrical engineering maintenance technician
  • control and instrumentation engineering maintenance technician
  • mechanical engineering maintenance technician 

Electrical engineering maintenance technicians' work focuses on electrical aspects of plant, equipment and systems. For example, motors, single-phase and three-phase, power supplies, and low voltage or high-voltage electrical distribution.

Control and instrumentation engineering maintenance technicians' work focuses on the control and instrumentation aspects of plant, equipment and systems. For example, programmable logic controllers, flow meters, heat exchangers and safety controls.

Mechanical engineering maintenance technicians' work focuses on mechanical aspects of plant, equipment and systems. For example, actuators, fans, pumps, valves, gearboxes, and pipework.

Engineering maintenance technicians maintain plant, equipment and systems to optimise operation. They conduct planned and preventative maintenance to prevent issues occurring and reactive maintenance when problems occur. For example, responding to breakdowns. They must prepare for and accept jobs, complete work safely to required standards, close the job, and complete work records. They also contribute to continuous improvement activities. They may complete work as part of a team or alone, depending on the task.

Daily, they interact with other maintenance technicians, engineers, and support operatives. They also have contact with other internal and external stakeholders. This may include operations, managers, quality, research and development, and admin staff. They may also have contact with auditors, regulators, and customers undertaking site visits. They typically report to an experienced maintenance engineer.

They must maintain the safe and reliable operation of plant, equipment and systems. Work must comply with any industry specific regulations. Safety is a key priority. They must comply with health, safety, and environmental regulations and procedures, and sustainability practices. They must complete tasks in line with their company’s procedures and timescales. They must also take account of wider business considerations such as cost and service level agreements.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Alpek Polyester, Conoco Phillips, Digital Realty, Drax, EDF Energy, Enfinium, Enva, Evo Energy, Exxon Mobil, Finning, Green Energy, Exxon Mobil, Husqvarna, Ineos, Jaguar Land Rover, MoD, National Grid, NHS, Orsted, RWE, Sellafield Sites, Siemens, SSE, Sterling PSL, Swizzels Matlow, Tesco, Tronox, Veolia, Westinghouse.

Typical job titles include:

Control and instrumentation craftsperson
Control and instrumentation maintenance technician
Control, instrumentation and automation technician
Electrical craftsperson
Electrical maintenance technician
Engineering maintenance technician
Engineering technician
Maintenance and operations engineering technician
Maintenance engineering technician
Maintenance technician
Mechanical craftsperson
Mechanical maintenance technician

Keywords:

Electrical
Electromechanical
Engineering
Equipment
Instrumentation
Maintenance
Mechanical
Plant

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Sectors in which engineering maintenance takes place. Impact of sector on maintenance activities.
K2: Maintenance disciplines and functional areas and how they work together.
K3: Individual maintenance technician's roles and responsibilities. Escalation procedures.
K4: Business operation considerations: quality, cost, delivery, and ethical practices.
K5: Planning, prioritisation, organisation, and time management techniques.
K6: Equipment life cycle considerations.
K7: Maintenance strategies: planned preventative maintenance (PPM), condition-based maintenance (CBM), scheduled maintenance, total productive maintenance (TPM), breakdown and run to failure maintenance.
K8: Health and safety regulations – key features and impact on role: ATEX - safety requirements for workplaces and equipment used in explosive atmospheres, Control of Asbestos Regulations, Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR), Display Screen Equipment Regulations (DSE), Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA), Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER), Management of Health and Safety at Work, Manual Handling Operations Regulations, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations, Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), Working at Height Regulations, Working in Confined Spaces Regulations, Workplace (health, safety, and welfare) Regulations.
K9: Work environment hazards and risks. Risk assessments.
K10: Safe systems of work.
K11: Personal protective equipment (PPE): selection, use, and care.
K12: Asset security requirements.
K13: Environmental regulations and standards – impact on role: Environmental Management Systems standard, Environmental Protection Act, and Hazardous Waste Regulations.
K14: The UK's net zero commitment. Principles of sustainability.
K15: Recycling and waste management requirements.
K16: Emergency incident and response procedures.
K17: Algebraic methods. Trigonometric methods and standard formulae to determine areas and volumes. Statistical methods to display data (mean, mode, median). Elementary calculus techniques: coefficient, gradient of a curve, rate of change.
K18: Properties of engineering materials and impact on use.
K19: Sources of engineering information.
K20: Engineering standards - British (BSI) and International (ISO).
K21: Engineering representations, sketches, drawings, and graphical information conventions.
K22: Quality management systems.
K23: Standard operating procedures (SOPs): what they are and why they are important.
K24: Foreign material exclusion requirements.
K25: Documentation requirements: documentation control, auditable records.
K26: Continuous improvement (CI) systems and techniques.
K27: Team working principles.
K28: Principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
K29: Verbal communication methods and techniques. Engineering maintenance terminology.
K30: Written communication techniques.
K31: Digital and information technology to support engineering maintenance. General data protection regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
K32: Industry 4.0 - the integration of physical systems with internet connectivity and cloud computing: technologies, systems, and benefits.
K61: Mechanical. Electricity at Work regulations.
K62: Mechanical. Pneumatic and hydraulic system principles: Air compressors, hydraulic pumps, filters, regulators, lubricators.
K63: Mechanical. Mechanical principles, terminology, and calculations: stress, strains, bending moment, heat transfer, fluid dynamics.
K64: Mechanical. Function and application of mechanical elements of plant and equipment.
K65: Mechanical. Different types of mechanical fasteners and their uses.
K66: Mechanical. Types of diagrams used to represent mechanical installations and assemblies; symbols and abbreviations used to represent parts in diagrams.
K67: Mechanical. Isolation and deisolation of connected services: considerations and requirements.
K68: Mechanical. Mechanical maintenance requirements and techniques: removing and replacing parts, inspecting, testing, setting up, adjusting, cleaning, and lubricating.
K69: Mechanical. Mechanical maintenance tools and equipment application, operation, care, and calibration requirements.
K70: Mechanical. Common maintenance problems relating to mechanical aspects of plant and equipment.
K71: Mechanical. Mechanical maintenance fault-finding and rectification techniques; diagnostic equipment.
K72: Mechanical. Problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
K73: Mechanical. Bench fitting techniques: cutting threads, mechanical fitting, and joining.

S1: Review and use information. For example, work instructions, drawings, design specifications, and plant configurations.
S2: Use planning, prioritising, organising, and time management techniques to plan tasks.
S3: Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, consumables.
S4: Respond and adapt to work demands. For example, adapt working methods to reflect changes in working environment, re-prioritise workloads to react to breakdowns and fault scenarios.
S5: Identify equipment to work on. Check plant configuration is as defined.
S6: Prepare the work area for maintenance tasks.
S7: Identify environmental and health and safety hazards and risks and apply control measures.
S8: Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, signage and barriers, working at height, confined spaces, and COSHH.
S9: Follow security procedures. For example, site access, document classification, and securing assets.
S10: Follow emergency incident and response procedures.
S11: Apply sustainability principles. For example, minimising waste.
S12: Segregate items for reuse, recycling, and waste.
S13: Use mathematical principles and formulae to support engineering maintenance.
S14: Apply engineering maintenance standards and procedures.
S15: Apply foreign material exclusion procedures.
S16: Follow maintenance tools and equipment control procedures. For example, handling and storage.
S17: Reinstate the work area.
S18: Apply team working principles.
S19: Communicate with others to give and receive information. For example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
S20: Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
S21: Record information.
S22: Produce or update documents. For example, handover notes and reports.
S23: Identify and highlight issues (red pen) with technical drawings.
S24: Use digital and information technology. For example, databases, data sharing platforms, email, management information systems, and word processing. Follow cyber security and GDPR requirements.
S25: Apply continuous improvement techniques to identify improvement suggestions.
S26: Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
S52: Mechanical. Check and confirm safe isolation of connected services.
S53: Mechanical. Select, check, and use mechanical maintenance tools and equipment.
S54: Mechanical. Use mechanical diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
S55: Mechanical. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
S56: Mechanical. Check condition and operation of mechanical aspects of plant and equipment. For example, pumps.
S57: Mechanical. Remove and replace mechanical parts.
S58: Mechanical. Examine mechanical parts for defects. For example, pump seals.
S59: Mechanical. Set up, align, and adjust mechanical aspects of plant.
S60: Mechanical. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
S61: Mechanical. Lubricate mechanical assemblies.
S62: Mechanical. Confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
S63: Mechanical. Conduct functional testing.
S64: Mechanical. Apply bench fitting techniques.

B1: Prioritise safe working practices. For example, risk aware, minimise risks, and proactively work towards preventing accidents.
B2: Consider sustainability when using resources and carrying out tasks.
B3: Take ownership for the delivery and quality of own work. For example, self-motivated, disciplined in the approach to work tasks, and work carried out in line with standards.
B4: Team-focus to meet work goals and support inclusivity. For example, support others, show respect to others, and create and maintain productive working relationships.
B5: Committed to continued professional development to maintain and enhance competence.

Duties

Duty D1

Maintain and promote work site health, safety, and environmental compliance. For example, conduct risk assessments and follow emergency procedures.

Duty D2

Liaise with stakeholders on maintenance work. For example, pre-job briefings, to plan work, to co-ordinate work with other maintenance disciplines, and to provide technical and regulatory advice.

Duty D3

Prepare for engineering maintenance work. For example, organise resources, obtain supplies of consumables, and order parts.

Duty D4

Review job requirements and accept. For example, accept safe system of work or permit to work.

Duty D5

Ensure work meets regulatory, industry, and company quality standards.

Duty D6

Conduct post job close out. For example, sign-off job, handover engineering plant and equipment.

Duty D7

Complete engineering maintenance records to company requirements. For example, job reports, stock control records, and fault-finding reports.

Duty D8

Contribute to improvement activities. For example, support alternative ways of working to improve safety, reliability, sustainability, reduce cost, or drive efficiency. Complete continued professional development.

Duty D19

Mechanical. Conduct planned, preventative, and reactive maintenance on mechanical aspects of plant, equipment, and systems.

Duty D20

Mechanical. Conduct fault diagnosis and problem solving on mechanical aspects of plant, equipment, and systems.

Duty D21

Mechanical. Remove and replace mechanical plant, equipment, and systems.

Duty D22

Mechanical. Conduct inspection, examination, and testing of mechanical aspects of plant.

Duty D23

Mechanical. Manufacture or assemble components for example, bespoke gaskets.

Duty D24

Mechanical. Ensure availability and performance of mechanical maintenance tools and equipment.