Efficient Plant May 2018 - 30

power issues

Are Your Electrical
Workers Qualified?

Using only 'Qualified Persons' to perform electrical work can greatly reduce
the risk to the safety of employees, as well as increase reliability of electrical
systems and equipment.

ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS today are often very complex.
Protective devices, controls, instrumentation, and interlock systems
demand that personnel be trained and qualified at a high technical skill
level. Safety and operating procedures used in working on these systems
are equally as complex, requiring technicians to be expertly trained in all
required skills, as well as safety practices and procedures. What, exactly,
does this mean-and include? Dennis Neitzel, director emeritus of the
AVO Training Institute, Dallas, (avotraining.com), sought to answer the
question in a recent white paper.
- Jane Alexander, Managing Editor

AVO has been a leader in hands-on safety and maintenance training for the
electrical industry for over 50 years. A member of the privately owned Megger
(megger.com) family of companies, the AVO Training Institute currently offers
more than 57 courses in a variety of settings. Learn more at avotraining.com.

| EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM

Neitzel began his discussion by pointing to a serious misconception
throughout industry that a licensed Journeyman or Master Electrician
constitutes a "Qualified Person." This is not necessarily true. Consider
the following: A Journeyman or Master license is obtained through a
required number of years working under a licensed electrician (depending on the state, county, or municipality requirements) and passing a
National Electrical Code (NEC) exam. As an example, a licensed Master
Electrician may have 10 years of hands-on field experience and qualifications in wiring residential buildings but would not be experienced or
qualified to work in a manufacturing facility and, consequently, could
not be hired as a Qualified Person.
The OSHA 29 CFR 1910.399 defines a Qualified Person as, "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." OSHA and NFPA 70E have strict requirements for training that go hand-in-hand with such qualification-
requirements that the white paper goes to great lengths to clarify.
Among other things, qualified employees are required to be trained and
competent in:
skills and techniques necessary to distinguish live parts from others
skills and techniques necessary to determine the nominal voltage
minimum approach distances to live parts
proper use of:
+ special precautionary techniques
+ insulating and shielding materials
+ insulated tools and test equipment
+ job planning.
Neitzel also highlighted specific requirements for employers,
including, through regular supervision and annual inspections,
that they verify employees are complying with safety-related work
practices. They may also be required to provide additional training or
retraining in cases of:
supervision or annual inspection indicating non-compliance with
work practices
new technology
new types of equipment
changes in procedures
employees required to use work practices they normally do not use.
The white paper provides important clarity around issues of
electrical-worker qualification. Go to avotraining.com/resources/
newsroom to download the full document. EP

MAY 2018

http://www.avotraining.com http://www.avotraining.com/resources/newsroom http://www.megger.com http://www.avotraining.com http://www.EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Efficient Plant May 2018