When you’re running an E&I shutdown in the Pilbara, there’s not much room for “near enough”.
Windows are tight, access is complex, and the consequences of overruns are expensive—both commercially and reputationally.

GWA’s electrical team has delivered shutdowns across mine sites, ports and remote facilities in northern Western Australia. This checklist pulls together what we’ve learned on the ground as an industrial electrical contractor in the Pilbara—not theory, just what works.

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The Real-World Challenges of Pilbara Shutdowns

Environmental and access constraints
Extreme heat, dust and distance change everything.
Crews hit site fatigued if mobilisation isn’t planned well. Equipment suffers. Weather windows close fast, especially during cyclone season.

Multi-discipline coordination
Shutdowns rarely involve “just” electrical. Civil, mechanical, fabrication and controls all interact. If work fronts and isolations aren’t sequenced properly, you lose time and introduce risk.

Safety, approvals and documentation
Permits, isolations, switching programs, JHAs, procedures, and OEM requirements all need to line up. Any gap or late change can stall work at the exact moment you should be progressing.

Pre-Shutdown Planning Checklist

A shutdown’s success is mostly decided before anyone hits site.

1. Define scope and isolate risk

• Confirm the full E&I scope, including any “opportunistic” add-ons.
• Map dependencies between HV, LV, instrumentation and control.
• Identify all high-risk tasks and interfaces with live plant.
• Lock in isolation boundaries and responsibilities early.

Ask: If we had to drop 10% of the scope mid-shutdown, what would we cut first? If you don’t know, the scope isn’t prioritised enough.

2. Build the right electrical team

• Ensure you have HV-competent personnel where required.
• Balance local Pilbara experience with specialist skills.
• Nominate clear leads for:
  • HV switching
  • LV supervision
  • QA/testing and documentation
• Confirm coverage for night shifts or extended hours.

A shutdown is not the place to “see how a new crew goes”. You want people who know Pilbara conditions and understand the client’s systems.

3. Lock in materials, spares and tooling

Remote locations punish poor materials planning.

• Confirm all materials are on site before isolation starts.
• Carry critical spares for:
  • Breakers and fuses
  • CTs/VTs and protection relays
  • Terminations, lugs, and glands
• Double-check availability of:
  • Test equipment (DGA, primary injection, insulation testers, etc.)
  • Lifting gear and access equipment
  • Temporary power and lighting

A missing part in the Pilbara doesn’t just mean a quick dash to a supplier—it can mean days of delay.

4. Commissioning and restart planning

Many shutdown issues appear during restart, not during the work itself.

• Develop detailed commissioning steps and hold points.
• Define who signs off each system and at what stage.
• Plan staged energisation to catch issues early.
• Pre-populate commissioning sheets so technicians can focus on testing, not paperwork.

Execution-Day Checklist

When the plant comes down, clarity and discipline matter.

1. Site readiness and permits

• Toolbox talks completed and understood.
• All permits, clearances and isolations in place.
• Lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) verified and documented.
• Exclusion zones and barricades established.

2. Communication and change control

• Channels confirmed: radios, supervisors, control room.
• Any scope changes go through a clear approval path.
• Sequence deviations are captured and assessed for impact.

Change will happen. What matters is how quickly and safely it’s communicated and controlled.

3. QA, testing and documentation

• Test results captured in real time.
• Defects recorded with a clear owner and timeframe.
• OEM requirements met and signed off where relevant.
• As-built documentation updated before demobilisation.

Post-Shutdown Review

Every shutdown is a chance to improve the next one.

• What delayed us—and what prevented delays?
• Where did communication work or break down?
• What did the client appreciate and what caused friction?
• What should we standardise into our next shutdown playbook?

A short, honest review—shared between client and contractor—can take hours off the next window.

Why Work With a Pilbara-Ready Electrical Contractor

GWA has delivered E&I works across some of WA’s harshest and most remote environments. Our team combines:

• HV/LV electrical capability
• Rapid mobilisation and shutdown crews
• Local, Pilbara-specific experience
• Indigenous-led leadership and community understanding

When the window is tight, execution matters more than ever.