ACA Safe Isolation Test

[Sparkystevie]

Hi lads,

I'm time served electrician based in Scotland and sat my ACA two weeks ago, I failed on Safe isolation. In-between rippin me I could really do with some constructive advice to further my chances of passing. (I know i really shouldn't be failing that part of the test anyway!).

I have only ever worked on domestic and some light commercial builds, so have limited knowledge regarding motors. In fact the only motor i have ever wired was in my trade test. I think i may have made a mistake when I was asked to isolate the second of three motors which all had individual 3ph supplys from a db. The motors run in a sequence, where once motor 1 reaches a its correct speed motor two starts and so on to motor three. I followed all the procedures and isolated just that motor circuit but not the control circuit. Could this be the reason for an epic fail? I also may have given the key to the examiner at some point during the day, i cant remember if it was during the safe isolation part of the test though. I have heard that they ask for the key and then fail you for it too!

Any feedback would be appreciated, retest is looming.

Thanks

 

[Carlosfandango]

It's a bit different to not being able to safely isolate in the fact that it's under test conditions. That's like saying if someone fails their driving test first time they can't drive!! You can sleep easy Dave, I'm fully aware of how to isolate safely!!

 

[jamie-spark]

Hi lads,

I'm time served electrician based in Scotland and sat my ACA two weeks ago, I failed on Safe isolation. In-between rippin me I could really do with some constructive advice to further my chances of passing. (I know i really shouldn't be failing that part of the test anyway!).

I have only ever worked on domestic and some light commercial builds, so have limited knowledge regarding motors. In fact the only motor i have ever wired was in my trade test. I think i may have made a mistake when I was asked to isolate the second of three motors which all had individual 3ph supplys from a db. The motors run in a sequence, where once motor 1 reaches a its correct speed motor two starts and so on to motor three. I followed all the procedures and isolated just that motor circuit but not the control circuit. Could this be the reason for an epic fail? I also may have given the key to the examiner at some point during the day, i cant remember if it was during the safe isolation part of the test though. I have heard that they ask for the key and then fail you for it too!

Any feedback would be appreciated, retest is looming.

Thanks

I think you have miss heard him. He would have told you to isolate the motor starter so that it can be safely worked on. This requires you to THINK. there is a supply for the motor and a separate Supply for the control circuit. That requires you to isolate a both. He would have failed you because you did not understand that the starter would have still be live.

Every one sitting the ACA is given this. It's so they can see you understand. What u have been told and you have checked the circuit charts and diagrams

 

[jamie-spark]

giving the key to the instructor is straight fail keep it in your pocket prove testers on a proving unit twice what is aca by the way

Approved competence assessment

It's a one day test, required in Scotland. Passing this enables you to be graded to approved electrician status.

You can only apply to sit it,when you have had 2 years experience as a graded electrician, filled out the assessment form and job cards