Remote fault-finding with a Chinese machinery engineer
Appoint a competent person at the UK site, agree a written diagnostic scope, and keep physical control locally. Start with existing fault records; approve each further test against site risks, stop when conditions change, and record instructions and results. Coordinate factory communication through Cambridge China Bridge.
Put site control and competence in writing
HSE guidance says people should be competent for the work they undertake. Appoint a local person whose training, knowledge and experience match the proposed tasks, including relevant isolation procedures. Agree that this person controls physical actions and can stop the session. The Chinese engineer explains the machine; an interpreter relays instructions. Neither role substitutes for local competence.
Name the customer's site decision-maker, local technician, factory engineer and interpreter in the session brief. Confirm who can approve tests and who will arrange specialist attendance. Use the machinery sourcing guide for purchasing documentation and the installation and commissioning guide for initial site arrangements.
Agree the diagnostic boundary before connecting
Send the machine identity, fault history, existing alarm screenshots, relevant drawings and manual revision beforehand. Ask the engineer for a written sequence stating the purpose, machine state, access needed, expected observation and stop condition for each proposed test. Distinguish viewing existing records from actions that energise, move or alter the machine.
HSE says plant and equipment must be made safe before maintenance starts. Its electrical-work guidance includes isolation and release of all energy sources. For this session, agree how the local person will verify isolation, prevent reconnection, address stored pressure and support parts that could fall. Include connected equipment and keep others outside the work area.
Permit defined steps, with separate approval for changes
Begin with existing logs, photographs taken from safe positions and observations through intact guards. Permit physical checks only when the local person confirms they fall within the agreed safe procedure and their competence. Do not treat a camera view or the engineer's reassurance as permission to open a cabinet, reach into machinery or restart it.
Treat powered tests, electrical measurements, software changes and altered settings as separate proposals for local review. HSE says situations involving significant maintenance hazards should be properly assessed. Require a task-specific assessment and safeguards before proceeding; otherwise arrange an on-site specialist. Exclude improvised guard bypasses and interlock defeat from the remote session.
Use explicit stop conditions and a shared record
Stop if instructions are unclear, translation is disputed, the connection fails during an action, unexpected movement occurs, isolation cannot be confirmed, or a test exceeds the agreed scope or local competence. Also stop for damaged guarding, exposed electrical parts or an unexplained safety alarm. Agree beforehand how the local person will leave the machine safe without relying on the call.
Read each instruction back before acting, then report the observed result before proceeding. Keep a shared record of participants, dates and time zones, machine identity, instructions in both languages, approvals, photographs, readings, setting changes and reasons for stopping. Mark hypotheses separately from confirmed findings. Agree any recording of the call with participants and circulate a written session summary.
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Escalate unresolved faults and control return to use
If the fault remains unexplained, affects a safety function or needs work outside local competence, leave the machine unavailable for production and request a qualified on-site specialist. Send the factory the diagnostic record and ask for a written repair proposal, parts identification and verification plan. Use the spares and service support guide to organise the service route.
After repair, have the local competent person assess the work and arrange the necessary safety checks before the site decision-maker authorises production. Record restored guards, removed temporary connections, final settings, test results and any remaining restrictions. An alarm disappearing is insufficient evidence on its own. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can coordinate factory clarification and parts discussions while the customer retains site control.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Chinese engineer diagnose my machine by video?
Video can help explain faults and review records. Appoint a competent local person to control physical actions, approve the diagnostic scope and stop when the site conditions or instructions are unclear.
Can our operator carry out the engineer's checks?
Only include tasks matching the operator's competence and the agreed safe procedure. Familiarity with production controls does not establish competence for electrical work, isolation or repairs.
What if the factory asks us to bypass an interlock?
Stop the remote session and request a written alternative diagnostic proposal. Have a local specialist assess how the fault can be investigated safely before further action.
What should we keep after remote fault-finding?
Keep the agreed scope, bilingual instructions, local approvals, observations, images, changes and stop reasons. Add the repair proposal and documented checks supporting the site's decision to return the machine to production.