Troubleshooting
& Training.

Fault investigation

Electrical faults rarely announce themselves clearly. A transformer trips. A protection relay misoperates. A DC traction substation isolates intermittently. The clock is running. The contractor wants to reset; the operator wants answers; somewhere in between, the root cause sits — and it has to be found before the system is re-energised.

Our fault investigation service brings two things to the room: independence from the parties that may have a stake in the diagnosis, and three decades of pattern recognition across switchgear, protection systems, transformers, cables, earthing and traction systems.

Typical engagements

• Unexplained trips on HT switchgear — relay maloperation, transient overvoltage, CT/VT failure.
• Cable faults — locating, root-cause analysis (mechanical damage, insulation deterioration, joint failure).
• Earth fault investigation — both AC LV/HV and DC traction earth faults.
• Protection misoperation — wrong settings, CT polarity, scheme errors.
• DC traction faults — third rail / negative return system, stray current alarms.
• Power quality investigations — voltage sags, harmonics, flicker.
• Post-incident root cause analysis — for insurance, for AHJ submission, or for internal lessons learned.

Training

Most electrical incidents we investigate have a training gap somewhere in the chain. The technician didn't know what the protection scheme was actually doing. The contractor didn't understand the switching sequence. The operator missed a tag. We deliver bespoke training programmes designed to close those gaps — taught from real Singapore project examples, not generic slide decks.

Topics we teach

• Electrical safety for engineers — Permit-to-Work, isolation, earthing for safety.
• HV switching fundamentals — how a switching schedule is written, executed and audited.
• Protection systems — overcurrent, earth fault, differential, distance; setting philosophy.
• Substation operations — daily checks, planned maintenance, fault response.
• DC traction power systems — design intent, protection peculiarities, stray current management.
• Lightning protection — SS 555 / IEC 62305 design principles for practising engineers.
• LEW preparatory coaching — for engineers preparing for EMA LEW examination.
• PE professional interview coaching — for engineers approaching Professional Engineers Board interviews.

How it works

1. Brief. Tell us what happened, or what you want your team to know.
2. Scope. We propose an investigation plan or a training syllabus and timeline.
3. Execution. Site visit + document review + interviews for investigations; in-house workshop + site walks for training.
4. Deliverable. Investigation report with root cause, contributing factors, recommendations — or a training package with reference material the team can keep.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can you respond to a fault?

For genuine emergencies on Singapore-based installations we typically mobilise within 24 hours. For complex investigations, mobilisation is faster than the lab reports anyway — so calling early helps.

Can training be done at our site?

Yes. Most engagements are on-site or hybrid (classroom morning, site walk afternoon). The training is more effective when the team can point at their own switchgear during the session.

Do you provide LEW exam coaching?

Yes — preparatory coaching for engineers sitting the EMA LEW examination. Focus is on understanding the regulatory framework, the technical syllabus and the kinds of scenarios examiners ask.