Your First National Grid Substation Job: From NG Person to NG Competent Person

If you’re starting work on a National Grid substation, understanding the National Grid substation training requirements is an important first step. One of the most common calls we get goes something like this: “We’ve won a job on a National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) substation, we start in three weeks. What training do the lads need?”

It’s a fair question, because the National Grid route isn’t always obvious if you’ve come from construction or another utility. So, here’s the plain-English version.

Step 1: National Grid Substation Training: Get Your NG Person Authorisation

Nobody works unaccompanied on an NGET substation without the right authorisation. For most contractors, that starts with National Grid Person (Substations).

If your work is on towers and lines rather than inside the fence, the equivalent is NG Person Overhead Lines (OHL).

Both are one-day courses delivered at National Grid facilities. They cover the National Grid Safety Rules, the National Safety Instructions (NSIs) that apply to substations or overhead lines, high voltage (HV) hazards and site rules. There’s a classroom element, two computer-based training sessions and tests, plus an on-site practical element.

Step 2: Keep it in date

Your NG Person authorisation lasts three years. When it’s due, the NG Person Substations Online Renewal is a half-day eLearning course.

If you hold NG Person Overhead Lines (OHL), the NG Person OHL Online Renewal keeps that authorisation in date, again without a trip to a National Grid training centre.

There’s some registration admin we need to do before you can start it, so please don’t leave it until the day before your authorisation runs out.

Be aware: once your NG Person authorisation has expired, you can’t do the online renewal. There are no extensions, not even by 24 hours. If it lapses, you’ll need to book the full course again.

Step 3: National Grid Substation Training: Progress to Competent Person

The next step for substations is Competent Person (CP) Substations, National Safety Instructions 6 and 8 (NSI6 and NSI8).

• NSI 6 covers safe access and working in substations
• NSI 8 covers earthing high voltage equipment

This is a big step, and there are two ways to prepare for it:

• National Grid’s three-day Pre-Competent Person course at Eakring is for people who don’t yet have nine days of permit evidence. We can book it for you.
• Our one-day [Pre-Competent Person Training](https://www.pragmatic-consulting.co.uk/course/pre-competent-person-training/) is for people who want a face-to-face refresher before resitting their Competent Person assessment. It works through the Safety Rules, NSI 6, NSI 8 and NSI 30 with practice questions, so delegates walk in prepared.

There’s also NSI2 Limited including Practical Application of Drain Earths. National Safety Instruction 2 (NSI 2) covers work on or near high voltage overhead lines. When it’s due, the NSI2 Limited Renewal keeps it in date.

Working on towers and overhead lines instead? There are four Competent Person Overhead Lines (OHL) courses, depending on what the role involves:

• CPA: LAC only, no application of drain earths
• CPB: LAC and Permit for Work (PFW), no application of drain earths
• CPC: LAC and PFW, with application of drain earths
• CPD: LAC and PFW, with application of drain earths, for work on conductors

The route at a glance

Don’t forget you may need other training

National Grid (NG) authorisation is only part of the picture. Depending on the job, your team may also need:

Impressed voltage

• EUSR Impressed Voltage (IV) Awareness, for everyone on site
• EUSR IV for Managers & National Grid Supplier Requirement SR/234 Overview, for supervisors and managers
• EUSR IV for Managers & SR/234 Overview with IVDE (ECP/EAP), for managers who also need the IVDE element
• EUSR IV for Designers & SR/234 Overview, for designers planning work near high voltage assets
• Insulated Working Under IV Conditions (NSI5 equivalent), for contractors carrying out insulated working

Earthing (NSI24 equivalent)

• EUSR Earthing, Brazing and Exothermic Welding – Theory
• EUSR Earthing, Brazing and Exothermic Welding – Practical
• EUSR Earthing, Brazing and Exothermic Welding – Theory and Practical

Read more in our blog on earthing, brazing and exothermic welding training.

Digging in substations

• EUSR HSG47 – High Voltage (HV) Substations, for anyone excavating inside substations, following the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance HSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services

Safety passport

• EUSR Safety, Health and Environmental Awareness (SHEA) Power

And if you’re the one managing the project, our National Grid supplier requirements courses for Principal Contractor Site Managers and Lead CDAE (LCDAE) and CDAE and Principal Designer (PD) roles are worth a look too.

How we help

National Grid delivers its own authorisation courses, and places can be tight. We act as a booker for them, so you get one point of contact who knows the system, chases the dates and makes sure the delegate information is right first time.

To book or ask a question, call us on 01926 674340 or email support@pragmatic-consulting.co.uk. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5.30pm.