Only Qualified Persons May Work On Live Electrical Equipment
Intro
OSHA states in 1910.333(c)(2) “Work on energized equipment.” Only qualified persons may work on electric circuit parts or equipment that have not been deenergized…. OSHA is serious about only qualified persons may work on live electrical equipment.
Training
The qualified employees must be trained in electrical safety to be considered qualified. This training, both NFPA 70E and OSHA work practices, includes electrical shock and arc flash. An unqualified person would not have had that training and must be kept out of electrical cabinets.
Unqualified Access
It has become common in some facilities for unqualified operations staff be allowed to access control panels. This must be stopped.
Qualified
All qualified employees must have received electrical safety training in order for you to consider them qualified. It doesn’t matter if you have an employee that for 25 years has been considered capable of working in electrical cabinets, if they have not received electrical safety training, OSHA will not consider them qualified.
Conclusion
Sadly, too often this doesn’t get discovered until someone is injured or killed. In summary, we have to keep unqualified employees out of electrical cabinets and we have to train our maintenance staff before we can say they’re qualified.
