Learning outcome The learner will:

2. know how to use and interpret engineering data and documentation Assessment criteria
The learner can:
2.1 explain what information sources are used for the data and documentation that they use in
their work activities

Information sources at work can come from a wide variaty of sources, The main sources of
information are documents generated internaly within the company such a work instructions, spread
sheets, issue logs, lab reports purchase requisition forms, time sheets, expenses claim forms, policy
documents and engineering drawings, Documents generated externaly are also used such as
engineering hand books, Data sheets and technical manuals.

2.2 explain how documents are obtained, and how to check that they are current and valid

Documents that have been generated internaly within the company are obtained from the companies
local network. All versions of documents are retained so it is important to ensure the most current
version is being used by checking the version/revision number and using the most recent version.
Documents undergo a strict review process internaly to ensure they meet standards and are valid.
For documents obtained from outside the company such as data sheets and technical manuals it is
possible to go to the source companies website and ususally they will have a page that contians a
list of documents their revision number and date of creation and it is then possible to select the most
recent document revision of the required document.

2.3 explain the basic principles of confidentiality (including what information should be
available and to whom)

Confidentialitys basic principles is about privacy and respecting individuals or organisations

wishes. It means personal information or sensitive information should not be shared with third
parties except for under very specific cercomstances. For example in regards to personal employee
information. A company may wish to record certain medical information about its employees such
as incidents of illness or information about long term cronic ilness but accsess to this information
shouldnt be freely available to everyone inside the company. Only staff members such as memebers
of the HR department and possibly line managers with a direct responsibility for the staff member
in question should be able to access the information. Confidentiality can also apply to orgnisations
technical information. Certain technical information the company generatates or is granted access to
by a third party company shouldnt be shared outside of the company or with people who dont need
to know the information. This information can can be further protected with legal documents such
as Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) that compel an individual to not talk about certain things
with the force of the law behind them if the agreement is broken. This is not to say that the law
dosent have anyhting to say about confidentiality if there is not a NDA in place. In regards to
personal information the law protects individuals right to confidentiality but NDAs are an extra
layer of legal protection often used by companies and orgnisations.

2.4 describe the different ways/formats that data and documentation can be presented (such
as such as drawings, job instructions product data sheets, manufacturers’ manuals, financial
spreadsheets, production schedules, inspection and calibration requirements, customer
information)

engineering drawings are technical drawings that display visualy information about the geometry of
parts and how those parts fit together in to assemblies. Work instructions are written instructions
detailing the processes involved in a piece of work, Data sheets contain technical information about
correct use of a product, information about materials and chemicals contianed within a product.
Safty information and warnings about the product and contact information for futher information
about the product. Manufacturers manuals contained detailed operation instructions for the correct
and incorecct use of a product. Financal spredsheets contian information about expenditures on
projects, lists of purchases required and the cost of them, and for HR departments and finance
officers they will deal with finacial spreadsheets detailing overall finances of the company such as
wage bills and income and expenditure. Production schedules are timetables for large pieces of
work detailing when cetain pieces of work must be completed by, how different pieces of work
depend on each other so the correct pieces of work are completed befor work that depends on them
is comenced. Inspection requirement documents detail the inspection criteria for parts and
componets, these parts can be either made externaly by suppliers and often must be inspected to
insure they have been manufactured to the companies standards or they can be for parts made
internaly and again used to check parts made meet the companies standards.

2.5 explain how to use other sources of information to support the data (such as electronic
component pin configuration specifications, reference charts, standards, bend allowances
required for material thickness, electrical conditions required for specific welding rods,
mixing ratios for bonding and finishing materials, metal specifications and inspection
requirements, health and safety documentation)

When working it is often necisary to bring together information from a variaty of sources to ensure
different aspects of a job are completed to the correct standards. When using any sort of glues,
apoxies, solvents, coatings, paints or finishes it is important to check the Material Safty Data Sheets
(MSDS) to ensure all relavent health and safty practices are followed, such as wearing sutible
Personal Protective Equiptment (PPE) and working in an area with adiquate ventilation. It is also
important to look at the Use instructions that detail correct use of the product, such as ratios for
mixing parts of apoxie bonding agents, or spray distances for use of arosol products or correct
settings on a welder for use the correct use of welding rods. Electronic data sheets contian diagrams
detailing Pin out configurations for components, This is used to ensure that componenets are being
connected up in the correct way, It is also important to refer to common standards so that when
designing products universal standards are used where applicable. If a connector type typicaly has
power on particular pins and data on other pins it is prudent to follow the standards so that others
that come to use the design in the future recognise the standard, it also avoids accidents and damage
to equiptment if someone in the future dosent look at all relevent documentation and instead
assumes things and begins plugging things in, If the conectors are wired in a standard way with
power where power normaly is and data where data normaly is then the risk of damage to
equiptment by a worker jumping the gun and not properly reading the relevent information. It is
also prudent that if something is to be produced that dosent follow a standard that mitigation
methods are put in place to avoid miss use of the equiptment, such as using a different connector
type that dosent allow the non standard application to be connected up to a standard in an improper
way. Referance charts are a good way of displaying a wide veriaty of information in a consise way
that is easy for a user to read and understand, alowing for quick acsess to information that could
otherwise be burried deep in blocks of text making it less accessable to an end user.
2.6 describe the importance of differentiating fact from opinion when reviewing data and
documentation

It is of upmost importance to differenciate between fact and opinion when reviewing data and
documentation. Facts are imutable, they convey information removed from feelings and emotion, It
is hard to argue with facts, The facts are the facts. Opinions are feelings and positions taken around
facts. Fact can be interperated in different ways by different people at different times to create
different opinions and different outcomes. By ensuring facts are differentiated from opinions, what
the facts are and where the opinions start it is possible to record information that can be better
understood at some future point in time potentially by different people who dont know the ins and
outs of the situation when a particular decision was made. By differentiating the fracts from
opinions it also makes it easier to change a decision at some later point in the future, the facts may
be the same but new facts may have come to light which change the opinions meaning a new
decisison can be reached.

2.7 describe the importance of analysing all available data and documentation before
decisions are made

It is very important to analyse all available data and documention befor decisions are made.
Decisions can have wide reaching consequences. The effective use of lots of time and resources can
be tied to decisions and if the wrong decision is made a lot of time and money can be wasted,
potentially with disasterous consequences for a company or for peoples health and wellbeing. By
properly analising all available data and documentation it allows for the best possible chance that
the correct decision is made, which will result in the best possible outcome.

2.8 describe the different ways of storing and organising data and documentation to ensure
easy access

There are many ways to store and orgnise data. In the past the most common way of storing data
would have been in paper form in books and filing cabinets. This system worked well, books can
have information ordered in a logical way that is quick to accsess and filing cabinets if properly
orgnised can store a lot of documentation with very complete records, stored in a way that allows
access when requried. Now in the age of computers a lot of information is stored in digital form. In
a lot of ways this is far supeariar as data can be accessed even quicker and much more data and
documentation can be retained in a way that is accessable. There are different ways of storing data
digitaly as well and it is possible to select the best storage method for the type of data. Numerical
data is best storred in spreadsheets and databases. It allows the data to be searched and manipulated
in any way that is required easily. It is also possible to dispay and share data and documentation in
different ways. Email is a good way of sending out documentation to whole companies or to
relevent parties to ensure it is seen by the relevent people. In an office environment very important
documentation may be printed out and displayed on a wall in the form of safty posters or project
display boards. Allowing the most important information to be on dispay for people to see.

2.9 describe the procedures for reporting discrepancies in the data or documentation, and for
reporting lost or damaged documents

if discrepancies in data or documentation is found it can be delt with in a number of ways. If it is a

minor error it may be possible to consult with the auther of the document and inform them of the
error, it may turn out to be a typo or some other minor discrepancy. For other discrepancies it my be
necisary to involve more individuals. Brining in managers to make decisions on how to proceed or
purchasing officers to communicate with external suppliers to seak clarifcation befor it is possible
to proceed. If documents are lost or damaged it should be reported to a line manager. For certain
documents it may not be an issues, if no sensitive information is on the document it may be simple
to replace the lost or damaged document. If the document contains sensitive information though,
there may have to be a formal review. Where the impact and risks of the loss of data can be assesed,
could the data of ended up in the hands of people who shouldnt have access to it, which would
require different action than if the data was simply destroyed and no longer accessable to anybody,
such as the difference between a lost laptop and a broken laptop. It is also important to consider if
the information is duplicated anywhere, which alows for easy replacing of the information or if the
information wasnt backed up why wasnt it backed up and how can things be changed in future to
ensure data isnt lost again

2.10 describe the importance of keeping all data and documentation up to date during the
work activity, and the implications of this not being done

It is important that all data and documentation is kept up to date during the work activerty so proper
records are maintained. By maintaining proper record keeping it can avoid situations where work is
carried out multiple times. It can also allow for lessons learned to be carried forward so mistakes are
not repeated time and again. If information isnt captured properly and instead is stored only in
peoples heads or forgoten then time and resources can be wasted at a later point in time. It also
allows for tracability, so it is possible to consult with relevent parties in the future if the need arises.

2.11 explain the care and control procedures for the documents, and how damage or graffiti
on documents can lead to scrapped work

care and control of documents is about looking after documents so they remain legible and the
information contained in them remains clearly accessable. If documents are damaged or defaced
they can become illegable meaning the documents could be misread leading to errors in production.
If engineering drawings are graffitied then dimensions and tollerances could be misread leading to
jobs being mismanufactured and scraped.

2.12 explain the importance of returning documents to the designated location on completion
of the work activities

It is important to return documents to the designated location for a number of resons. It ensures the
documents are available in the future in a way that makes them easily accessable and findable. It
also ensures the documents are secure. Some documents contain sensitive information and if they
are left in incorrect places the information contained within could end up being accessed by people
or parties that shouldnt have access to the information. Often in companies now information is
storred digitaly. When paper copies of documentation are requried rathan than returning the paper
copies to a filing cabinet or such once they are finished with the proper thing to do with such
documents that arent required anymore is for them to be destroyed often by shreding as the digital
copy remains stored.
2.13 explain what basic drawing conventions are used and why there needs to be different
types of drawings (such as isometric and orthographic, first and third angle, assembly
drawings, circuit and wiring diagrams, block and schematic diagrams

There are many different drawing conventions which all serve different purposes. We use
conventions so that information recoreded by one individual or orgnisation is accessable and
understandable by a different indicidual or orgnisation, even after a long period of time has passed.
There is a need for different types of drawing conventions so that different information can be
conveyed. Isometric drawings provided a 2d representation of a 3d object. They allow for a view of
an object that gives a good impression of what the finised object should look like, orthographic
drawings allow for much more detailed information about the dimensions and tollerances of an
object to be convayed than isometric drawings but they require more skill to interperate. Assembly
drawings, often with exploded views, allow for detailed information about how assemblies are put
together, they often can be acompanied by work instructions that can explain things about the
assembly that ar not conveyable through a drawing, such as in what order to assemble something so
that it can actually be assembled or so that finished assemblie workes as inteneded or other
information such as the correct torque to tighten certain fastners too. Circuit and wire diagrams are
used to lay out the paths and connections in circuits in a way that is easy to read and compreheand.
They often dont bare an actual resembalnce to the physical lay out of a circuit but instead are there
to show the conections in a clear way, it then requires interpritation to move between a physical lay
out and a circuit diagram.

2.14 explain what types of documentation are used and how they interrelate (such as
production drawings, assembly drawings, circuit and wiring diagrams, block and schematic
diagrams)

Lots of different types of drawings are used in combination with each other. Part drawings display
information about the geometry of parts, assemly drawings display information about how the parts
fit together in to assemblys. Assembly instructions give written instructions on how to assemble
components as shown graphically in an assembly drawing. PCB lay out drawings display
infromation about how Circuits are layed out physicaly and circuit and wiring diagrams show
information about how the different components on a PCB are connected up to each other. Block
and schematic diagrams show how different components interact with each other in a clear consise
way.

2.15 explain the imperial and metric systems of measurement; tolerancing and fixed reference
points

Imperial and metric systems of measurements are two seperate measuring systems, It is possible to
convert from one system to the other and the imperial measurment system is now defiend in terms
of the metric system of measurement. The metric system of measurment is decimalised which
means it works in base 10, for distance the metric system of measurment uses the Meter, one meter
is made up of 1000 milimeters, 1 milimeter is made up of 1000 micrometers. The imperial
measurment system is fractional and it could be argued less simple as it has more peculiarites. There
are 3 feet in a yard. 12 inches in a foot, each inch can be split up in to halves quarters eights,
sixteenths, thirtytooths, sixtyforths and so on. There is no correct system to uses and different
people have different preferances. Most of the world now uses the metric system as its standard, the
USA still uses the imperial system of measurment, and the UK is in an unusal position where it
officialy uses the metric system but due to historic factors a lot of people still use the imperial
system. Tolerancing is the system by which a range of acseptable measurments for a particular part
or dimension are considered acseptable. Some things require very tight tolerances which means the
dimesion in question has to be very acurate, other dimensions can have wider tollerances if the size
isnt so critical. Referance points or datums are locations on a part that serve as fixed locations from
which all other measurments should be taken. Referance points are important to avoid stack up off
errors or tolerances which over a number of measurments can add up to parts being out of
tollerance. By defining a fixed point or surface that measurments are taken from consistancy of
parts can be maintained.

2.16 describe the meaning of the different symbols and abbreviations found on the documents
that they use (such as surface finish, electronic components, weld symbols, linear and
geometric tolerances, pressure and flow characteristics)

In electronics there are lots of symbols that denote different component types, there are different
symbols for different uses. Circuit and wiring diagrams use one set of symbols and a different set of
symbols are used for the same components for component footprints on a PCB layout diagram. On
mechanical drawings there are lots of different symbols that doneote all sorts of different features
from parallelsim tollerances between two surfaces. Surface finish tollerances that denote how flat or
smooth a surface must be. Weld symbols that denote they type of weld and location of a weld on a
part. And general geometric tollerances that show the tollerance on a particular dimension.
Abrivations are also used in all areas of technical drawings. A good example is GND on electrical
drawings denoting Ground.

2.17 describe the extent of their own responsibility, when to act on their own initiative to find,
clarify and evaluate information, and to whom they should report if they have problems that
they cannot resolve.

In my role when a task is given to me it is my responsibility to locate the relevent documents for the
task. This often involves looking in folders that contain work instructions, folders that contain
technical drawings and assembly drawings. Checking databases that contain information about part
avalability. Checking safty documentation such as MSDSs for chemicals, checking technical mauals
for correct use and operation of components and tools. If I am struggling to find the correct
information I can communicate with the relevent parties. Often for internal issues the relevent
design engieneer, or I can contact external parties for clarifcation on documentation. If contacting
the relevent parties directly isnt resolving the issues I can consult my line manager and make them
aware of the issues I am facing and seek their assistance in resolving the issue.