Technology Transfer Services Blog

Electrical safety programs are only as effective as the amount of effort put into them. The “Hey, let’s get this going” attitude at the beginning of any program often rapidly falls away as the details of what needs to be done get pushed aside by the more immediate or higher priority items that arise on a daily basis. Some of these “details” that often fall by the wayside are the questions of how to determine what makes an individual “qualified” to perform electrical maintenance, to what level, and on what equipment. An individual may know how to use a multimeter, but this simple fact alone does not qualify that individual to work on everything in a building or facility. As far as OSHA is concerned, the employer is the “qualifying” authority; therefore, we are responsible for answering these questions. However, such questions are only part of the issue. The more important task is ensuring that the employees exposed to electrical hazards have the knowledge and skills to ensure their safety as well as the safety of those around them. Still, the question remains: What do we need to do, as employers, to ensure electrical workers are qualified?

Assess employee abilities
Find out your employees’ strengths and weaknesses. Develop plans to improve in areas of weakness. Instill in your employees the understanding that they can freely state, without fear of punishment or disapproval, when they are uncomfortable performing an assigned task. Freedom of communication is also a good tool to help you in assessing abilities. When a worker feels he/she does not have the necessary skills or knowledge to perform a task, this is an indication that he/she may not be qualified to perform the task. It also may be an indication that the worker does not feel safe performing the task. Either way, the employee must feel free to communicate his/her feelings and any reasons for feeling what he/she feels. The attitude of “Do it or else” and “how much longer is it going to take” are counterproductive to a successful electrical safety program.

Training
Regardless of whether the employee has been on the job for two days or 30 years, training is an ongoing process. Even something as simple as a tool box meeting to discuss a good work practice or a safety topic is better than nothing. Adjust your training program to fit the requirements and the abilities of your employees. Some will need more training and some will need less. There are many ways to provide this training but, regardless of the direction, it is important to always ensure that clear goals and methods to measure those goals are established. Nothing will discourage training more than receiving training and then not being able to use that training on the job. Ensure the training is as realistic as possible. If possible, use the actual equipment. Develop clear guidance for the training content. Ensure that the safety requirements are an integral part of the training. Whenever possible, use hands-on training in addition to classroom training.

Demonstration of skills
OSHA uses the word “demonstrated” in its definition of qualified. This seems to be the single biggest stumbling block to determining who is or is not qualified. This is why employers need to take a much closer look at what “demonstrated” means. As the employer, we need to ensure we have a clear understanding of the skill and knowledge set that is applicable to our needs. Different needs require different skills, and skills required at one facility may be very different than those needed by the facility next door. Unless skills are determined and developed, we will never have a good grasp of who is qualified or who is not. This means we need to have an effective means in place to demonstrate those skills.

For example, one scenario may require that an employee “… have the skills necessary to distinguish exposed energized electrical conductors and circuit parts from other parts of electric equipment.” A qualified electrical worker must be able to go to his/her assigned equipment and identify every component inside, describe the operation of the component, tell if it is energized or not based on the current operational mode, and know voltages required for operation. Being able to simply say what a component does is not enough if the worker fails to understand how and what makes that component work.

A qualified electrical worker must also be able to read and understand a wide range of equipment and technical documentation. For training purposes, an employer could request that the worker trace the power from a light fixture, outlet, or a conveyor motor back to the utility connection. Chances are the worker will need to use at least two different types of drawings. In doing so, the worker should clearly demonstrate the required skills in determining the nominal voltage before applying a meter. This is an example of one way to assess knowledge while integrating multiple requirements into a demonstration of that knowledge.

As an employer, we determine who is or is not qualified and waiting until an accident happens to figure this out is only making a bad situation worse. Be proactive. Arrange realistic exercises to determine who can or cannot perform a task, and then build the skills and knowledge in those demonstrated weak areas. If you feel uncomfortable with an individual performing a certain task, do not be afraid to take the necessary steps to ensure both you and your employees are confident in their ability to perform the task or tasks to which they are assigned.