Joseph Elson

My role as an apprentice electrician was to help the electricians carry out installation, maintenance, inspection & testing and fault finding work. Over the years my skill knowledge began to grow and slowly I was becoming more independent to organise, carry out and oversee jobs. I also was learning about PLC and Scada controls. This was the physical installation in the field and not the programming or coding PLC inputs/outputs for the plants.

The most recent big project that I have been carrying out is a full rewire of an Industrial Plant in Leeds. This includes installing all the different types of containment (cable ladder, cable basket, metal trunking, metal conduit and metal cable tray) and then running in the cables to terminate them into the junction boxes, field appliances or the motor control centre. As the plant has two production sides, this means we had to carry out this job for both sides of the plant, while it was occupied. This plant was a 24/7 waste production centre, so we had to plan shutdown dates in agreement with the plant to terminate the new cables into the field equipment.

I have also participated in emergency call outs when the plant is offline or something has failed. This can be anywhere in the country. I have carried out fault finding for final circuits inside three phase distribution boards and also PLC cabinets. The most recent was rectifying a extractor fan control panel. The issue was the coil for a 110V relay inside the control panel was mechanically broken and needed replacing.

I would also carry out EICR's for industrial plants, along with the remedial work that had made the EICR unsatisfactory. This would include installing new distribution boards, upgrading commando socket outlets and replacing broken lights.