Arc Hazard Safety

Qualified Persons

In an effort to limit electrical injuries in the workplace, OSHA passed a law that allows only qualified persons to work on or around energized circuits or equipment.

Only qualified persons may work on electric circuit parts/equipment that have not been de-energized. They shall be capable of working safely on energized circuits and shall be familiar with the appropriate use of the precautionary techniques, PPE, insulating and shielding materials, and insulated tools related to their work.

Definition

According to OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.399 a qualified person is: “One who has received training in and has demonstrated skills and knowledge in the construction and operation of electric equipment and installations and the hazards involved.”

Whether an employee is considered to be a qualified person will depend upon various circumstances in the workplace. For example, it is possible and, in fact, likely for an individual to be considered "qualified" with regard to certain equipment in the workplace, but "unqualified" as to other equipment.

NFPA 70E states that an employee who is undergoing on-the-job training and who, in the course of such training, has demonstrated an ability to perform duties safely at his or her level of training and who is under the direct supervision of a qualified person is considered to be a qualified person for the performance of those duties.

Training

At a minimum qualified persons must be trained in the following:

Skills and techniques necessary to distinguish exposed live parts from other parts of electric equipment.
Skills and techniques necessary to determine the nominal voltage of exposed live parts.
Clearance distances specified in 29 CFR 1910.333(c) and the corresponding voltages to which the qualified person will be exposed.

The required training should be classroom or on-the-job training. The degree of training provided is determined by the risk to the qualified person will be exposed to. It is the employer’s responsibility to determine the type and degree of training required and to ensure that the employee is adequately trained for the specific tasks they are assigned.

Note that a person who is considered to be qualified for working on and around some equipment may lack the expertise to work on other equipment, making him or her unqualified in those situations. This also holds true for certain work tasks. Just because a person is qualified to perform certain electrical tasks does not mean they are automatically qualified to perform all tasks.