Engineering & Systems Audits and Investigations
Understand the evidence. Know what to improve.
Review how electrical risks are managed, identify gaps in site systems or investigate an incident or equipment failure. Our engineers and industry specialists turn findings into clear, prioritised recommendations for your team.
Engineering audits
Plant, maintenance and work practices
Systems reviews
Rules, roles and implementation
Investigations
Incidents, near misses and failures
Improvement actions
When you need this
Assurance questions.
Gaps in practice.
An incident to understand.
Select the issues you would like the review to address.
Two service pathways
Choose the review that fits the question.
Audits & systems reviews
Are the requirements being applied?
Assess documents and site practices against an agreed set of criteria. Identify what is working, where gaps exist and which improvements need attention.
- HV operations and electrical safe-access arrangements
- Electrical Safety Rules and operating procedures
- Roles, competency and authorisation arrangements
- Maintenance systems and work procedures
- Applicable regulatory and internal requirements
Incident & failure investigations
What happened, and what contributed?
Examine the event and the surrounding conditions to assess probable causes and contributing factors. Consider technical issues alongside work practices and management systems.
- Electrical incidents and near misses
- Equipment failures and unexpected plant events
- Event timelines and operational records
- Technical, human and organisational factors
- Root cause analysis and recurrence-prevention actions
Outcomes & business value
A clearer basis for decisions and improvement.
Understand the findings
See the evidence, criteria and reasoning behind each finding, with information gaps and limitations made clear.
Prioritise the response
Focus attention on the issues that matter most and distinguish immediate concerns from longer-term system improvements.
Turn findings into action
Give your team practical recommendations that can be assigned, tracked and reviewed through your existing management processes.
Scope & typical deliverables
An agreed brief. A traceable assessment. Clear recommendations.
The review can focus on one event, a specific procedure, a site or an agreed group of assets. We define the boundaries, methodology and reporting requirements before starting.
Define the questions and assessment criteria
Confirm the purpose, assets, activities and stakeholders. For audits, agree the requirements and sampling approach; for investigations, define the event boundaries and the questions to be answered.
Review the available records
Assess relevant rules, procedures, permits, maintenance records and previous findings. Investigations may also require event logs, protection records, SCADA data, photographs and equipment information.
Gather operational context
Interview relevant personnel and undertake agreed site observations or inspections. Compare the documented arrangements with how work is planned, communicated and carried out.
Analyse findings and contributing factors
Assess audit evidence against the agreed criteria. For investigations, build the event sequence and evaluate plausible causes, including the performance of technical controls and management systems.
Report and prioritise recommendations
Present the findings and supporting basis in a structured report. Identify gaps, contributing factors and practical corrective or improvement actions, with priorities appropriate to the assignment.
Support the response and follow-up
Discuss the report with your team and clarify recommendations. Action planning, procedure updates, training or follow-up verification can be included where agreed.
What you receive
A report your team can use to make decisions.
- Executive summary and agreed scope
- Assessment criteria or investigation methodology
- Evidence-based findings and identified gaps
- Event chronology and causal analysis for investigations
- Prioritised recommendations and action register, as scoped
- Report briefing and agreed follow-up requirements
Defined at scoping: site attendance, specialist testing, detailed engineering studies and implementation support depend on the questions and available evidence.
Investigation methodology: our published incident investigation service uses the Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM). We agree how causal analysis and any detailed engineering assessment will be applied to the particular event.
Engagement options
Start with the support you need.
01 / Engagement option
Audit or gap review
Assess a defined system, activity or site against agreed requirements and identify priorities for improvement.
02 / Engagement option
Incident investigation
Examine an incident, near miss or plant failure and develop findings and recommendations from the available evidence.
03 / Engagement option
Action review & follow-up
Review the response to earlier findings and assess the evidence of completed actions within an agreed scope.
Our approach
From a clear brief to an informed response.
Agree the purpose and boundaries
Confirm the questions, criteria, sites and nominated contacts. Agree the review method, reporting audience and any time-critical concerns.
Build the evidence base
Request the relevant documents and data. Plan interviews and site work, and keep track of missing information and its expected availability.
Test the findings against the evidence
Compare audit observations with the criteria or examine the sequence and possible causes of an event. Distinguish established facts, supported conclusions and unresolved questions.
Explain findings and recommendations
Prepare the report with its evidence basis and limitations. Check factual matters with relevant stakeholders while retaining the assessment’s independent conclusions.
Agree the next actions
Brief the findings and support your team to define the response. Review implementation evidence or provide further technical support where included in the engagement.
Published audit experience
Rail network Electrical safety
Systems and responsibilities
Testing how the rules work in practice.
For an electrified passenger rail network, RelyOn Australia reviewed electrical safety documents and interviewed key stakeholders. The assessment identified opportunities to clarify responsibilities and make procedures better reflect the situations encountered during real work.
Published investigation experience
Wind turbine Plant failure
Systems and responsibilities
Connecting the event evidence with wider fleet lessons.
Following a turbine fire and equipment failure, RelyOn Australia reviewed historical records, operational events and site evidence, including comparisons with adjacent turbines. The investigation assessed probable causes and operating practices to inform improvements across similarly configured assets.
Support for the next steps
HV & LV Electrical Safety Management
Develop or update the rules, procedures and responsibilities identified through the review.
Asset Management & Maintenance Plans
Use findings to inform maintenance priorities, schedules and supporting work instructions.
FAQ's
Before you scope the work.
What is the difference between an audit and an investigation?
An audit evaluates arrangements and practices against agreed requirements. An investigation examines an event to understand what happened and the factors that contributed. Findings from either can inform corrective actions and broader system improvements.
Can you audit how procedures are used on site?
Yes. A review can combine document assessment, interviews and agreed observations of work practices. We define the activities, sampling and site access needed before the assignment.
What should we provide for an incident investigation?
Start with a summary of the event, its timing, the equipment involved and the records available. Relevant information may include event and relay logs, SCADA trends, photographs, drawings, maintenance records and accounts from personnel. We issue a tailored information request.
Can you investigate a near miss or recurring equipment problem?
Yes. We can scope a review around a near miss, repeated plant event or equipment failure. The questions, evidence requirements and need for specialist analysis are agreed around the particular issue.
Which investigation method do you use?
RelyOn uses ICAM for incident investigation, supported by relevant engineering analysis. The agreed approach reflects the event, available evidence and client reporting requirements.
What happens if important records are missing?
We identify the gaps, explain how they affect the assessment and agree whether further evidence can be obtained. The report distinguishes supported conclusions from assumptions and matters that remain unresolved.
Can you help implement the recommendations?
Yes. Action planning, procedure changes, maintenance planning, training and follow-up review can be scoped after the findings are understood. Responsibilities and evidence required for action closure are agreed with your team.
Does an audit report certify the whole site?
The report addresses the agreed scope, criteria and evidence reviewed. Any certification, statutory inspection or formal sign-off requirement needs to be identified at scoping so the appropriate service and authority can be confirmed.
Start with your assets
Need an independent view of a system, incident or failure?
Tell us what needs reviewing, what information is available and your reporting timeframe. We’ll help define the scope and next steps.
Prefer to speak with the team?
1300 15 66 85
