gfretwell said:
I have been in the business for over 20 years and I am not sure who a "qualified person" is in regard to the citations in the NEC.
Holding an electrical license or calling oneself an electrician does in no way make them a qualified person as outlined by NFPA. Being a certified electrical inspector in no way makes someone qualified. In some cases an electrical inspector is the least qualified on a job. When the term qualified person is mentioned in the NEC the following is what is being talked about and not a housewife.
Qualified Person. One who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the hazards involved.
Informational Note: Refer to NFPA 70E-2009, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, for electrical safety training requirements.
110.2 Training Requirements.
(A) Safety Training. The training requirements contained in this section shall apply to employees who face a risk of electrical hazard that is not reduced to a safe level by the applicable electrical installation requirements. Such employees shall be trained to understand the specific hazards associated with electrical energy. They shall be trained in safety-related work practices and procedural requirements, as necessary, to provide protection from the electrical hazards associated with their respective job or task assignments. Employees shall be trained to identify and understand the relationship between electrical hazards and possible injury.
Informational Note: For further information concerning installation requirements, see NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®.
(B) Type of Training. The training required by this section shall be classroom or on-the-job type, or a combination of the two. The degree of training provided shall be determined by the risk to the employee.
© Emergency Procedures. Employees exposed to shock hazards and those employees responsible for taking action in case of emergency shall be trained in methods of release of victims from contact with exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts. Employees shall be regularly instructed in methods of first aid and emergency procedures, such as approved methods of resuscitation, if their duties warrant such training. Training of employees in approved methods of resuscitation, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator (AED) use, shall be certified by the employer annually.
(D) Employee Training.
(1) Qualified Person. A qualified person shall be trained and knowledgeable of the construction and operation of equipment or a specific work method and be trained to recognize and avoid the electrical hazards that might be present with respect to that equipment or work method.
(a) Such persons shall also be familiar with the proper use of the special precautionary techniques; personal protective equipment including arc flash suit; insulating and shielding materials; and insulated tools and test equipment. A person can be considered qualified with respect to certain equipment and methods but still be unqualified for others.
(b) Such persons permitted to work within the limited approach boundary of exposed energized electrical conductors and circuit parts operating at 50 volts or more shall, at a minimum, be additionally trained in all of the following:
(1) Skills and techniques necessary to distinguish exposed energized electrical conductors and circuit parts from other parts of electrical equipment
(2) Skills and techniques necessary to determine the nominal voltage of exposed energized electrical conductors and circuit parts
(3) Approach distances specified in Table 130.4©(a) and Table 130.4©(b) and the corresponding voltages to which the qualified person will be exposed
(4) Decision-making process necessary to determine the degree and extent of the hazard and the personal protective equipment and job planning necessary to perform the task safely
© An employee who is undergoing on-the-job training for the purpose of obtaining the skills and knowledge necessary to be considered a qualified person and who, in the course of such training, has demonstrated an ability to perform specific duties safely at his or her level of training, and who is under the direct supervision of a qualified person, shall be considered to be a qualified person for the performance of those specific duties.
(d) Tasks that are performed less often than once per year shall require retraining before the performance of the work practices involved.
(e) Employees shall be trained to select an appropriate voltage detector and shall demonstrate how to use a device to verify the absence of voltage, including interpreting indications provided by the device. The training shall include information that enables the employee to understand all limitations of each specific voltage detector that might be used.
(f) The employer shall determine, through regular supervision or through inspections conducted on at least an annual basis, that each employee is complying with the safety-related work practices required by this standard.
(2) Unqualified Persons. Unqualified persons shall be trained in, and be familiar with, any electrical safety-related practices necessary for their safety.
(3) Retraining. An employee shall receive additional training (or retraining) under any of the following conditions:
(1) If the supervision or annual inspections indicate that the employee is not complying with the safety-related work practices
(2) If new technology, new types of equipment, or changes in procedures necessitate the use of safety-related work practices that are different from those that the employee would normally use
(3) If he or she must employ safety-related work practices that are not normally used during his or her regular job duties
Retraining shall be performed at intervals not to exceed 3 years.
(E) Training Documentation. The employer shall document that each employee has received the training required by 110.2(D). This documentation shall be made when the employee demonstrates proficiency in the work practices involved and shall be maintained for the duration of the employee’s employment. The documentation shall contain the content of the training, each employee’s name, and dates of training.
