Electrical Safety Training - Shock & Arc Flash Hazards

The primary standard in the US that determines the requirements for electrical safety training is the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPAs) Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, NFPA 70E.

Employees who work around electrical equipment, but are not those defined as qualified employees, are required to be trained such that they have sufficient information needed to provide for their safety.

Employees who are work on energized live (exposed) circuits operating at 50 V or more are required to be qualified.  Qualified Employees are defined as employees that are knowledgeable of the construction, installation, and operation of the equipment, and who has been trained to recognize and avoid the hazard associated with working on the equipment.  Qualified Employees are required to have electrical safety training.  Electrical safety training can be conducted in a classroom, through on-the-job mentoring, or a combination of the two. 

Topics that Qualified Employees should be trained to include:

• OSHA requirements for electrical safety
• NFPA 70E requirements for electrical safety
• Electrical work permits
• Electrical hazards
• Risk assessments
• Shock hazard boundaries
• Arc Flash boundaries
• Personal protective equipment
• Types
• Proper wear and fit
• Limitations
• Maintenance and care
• Equipment labeling
• Methodologies to reduce electrical hazards
• Proper use and limitation of electrical test equipment

Qualified electrical safety training should include methods that show the employee understands the electrical safety material.  This can be through tests, practical examinations, or demonstrations.

Once a Qualified Employee has been trained, the employer shall determine competency to electrical safety related work practices on an annual basis.  Annual competency can be determined through regular supervision, or inspections. 

A Qualified Employee shall receive additional electrical safety training when:

• Supervision indicates the employee is not complying with safety related work practices
• Annual inspections indicate that the employee has insufficient knowledge of safety related work practices
• New technology or equipment necessitate changes in safety related work practices
• If the employee is required to employ non-standard safety related work practices

For this and other questions on electrical and product safety, please contact me via comments on this blog or through e-mail.