Industry | Power

Basic Electrical Safety Competence for Access, Movement and Egress (BESC AME)

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About the Scheme

The Basic Electrical Competence for Access, Movement & Egress (BESC:AME) scheme is assessment only and does not include any training. This scheme may be delivered in conjunction with a company or site-specific induction.

BESC:AME assessments are available in the following work areas:

• Substations
• Underground Cables
• Overhead Lines

The scheme standards cover the basic requirements for safely entering, moving around and exiting work areas within electricity environments and do not cover the skills required for carrying out operational work tasks on the electricity network, for example cable jointing. Where individuals are required to enter more than one work area, they must pass the relevant assessment. BESC:AME is not a company authorisation, nor a proxy for a company authorisation.

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Registration on EUSR

Registration is based on successful completion of an assessment. The assessment is delivered through a network of Energy & Utility Skills approved assessors and they all deliver the same assessment.  The associated training and assessment usually lasts about a half-working day for each work area.

EUSR registration for BESC:AME is for three years from the date of assessment.

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BESC AME Update – October 2019

National Grid has recently launched its revised NSI 30 document which no longer includes our EUSR scheme, BESC:AME, as a mandatory requirement for those individuals requiring access to a National Grid substation or working on overhead lines. Instead, from 20 January 2020, all individuals who require this access will be required to undertake a National Grid in-house training course and assessment as part of a revised National Grid Person training and assessment.

The following transition arrangements have been agreed with National Grid:

For those without current BESC:AME:

From 20 January 2020 – National Grid’s revised face-to-face Person training course for individuals without current BESC:AME will come into effect. This will consist of both a practical substation/overhead line assessment and a computer-based test.

For those with current BESC:AME:

From 20 January 2020 – National Grid’s new Person renewal computer-based test will be implemented for all individuals whose existing BESC:AME registration expires.

Individuals whose EUSR BESC:AME registration expires on or after 20 January 2020 will be required to sit the new computer-based test to maintain their National Grid Person status but will not be required to complete the substation/overhead line practical assessment.

Please note that EUSR registration on BESC:AME achieved prior to 20 January 2020 will still be recognised by National Grid for the duration of the registration period.

Please be aware that we will not be withdrawing BESC:AME as a scheme although we anticipate that its removal as a requirement for National Grid Person status may have a significant impact on its take-up in the power industry. As a part of this initiative, National Grid will also no longer permit the use of live sub-stations for BESC:AME assessments.

National Grid’s existing Electricity Contractor scheme will remain in place, with all contractor registrations for National Grid Person still recorded within EUSR.

Please note that from 10 December 2019 you can book onto National Grid’s revised face-to-face Person training course here.

National Grid have released 2nd version of their FAQ to answer the questions raised by the changes to training requirements for individuals who require National Grid Person status.

Click here for FAQs.

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CITB Short Course

Energy & Utility Skills is a recognised Third Party Organisation (TPO) for CITB and the UK construction industry. This scheme is recognised by CITB for short course duration funding purposes and can be offered by ATOs. To find out more about CITB short course duration grants, click here.

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Find Out More

If you are a trainer and would like to deliver this scheme you will need to become an approved provider and an approved assessor. View our guidance on how to become an approved provider.