Authorising Engineer
An Authorising Engineer (AE) is an independent engineer or other appropriately experienced and qualified individual appointed to take responsibility for the effective management of the safety guidelines recommended by the Department of Health.
The role of Authorising Engineer’s in healthcare estates management depends on the service specialism. These roles are documented in the relevant
Health Technical Memoranda [HTM] HTM00 “Policies and principles of healthcare engineering” provides general guidance applicable to all services:
- the AE acts as an independent professional advisor;
- the AE provides services in accordance with the relevant HTM;
- the professional status and role of the AE may vary for different specialisms;
- the AE acts as an assessor and makes recommendations for the appointment of Authorised Person(s);
- the AE monitors the performance of the service;
- the AE provides an annual audit to the Designated Person;
- Agrees the level of safety, quality and process support for “specialist installation”
- Remains independent from the organisation and its operational structure, especially in regard to audit process.
There are similarities and commonalities between disciplines, but the precise requirements of the AE role will vary due to the requirements of each discipline below:
- Electrical
- Decontamination
- Medical gases
- Water
