Thanks for the reply. Well, what typically constitutes being qualified? This may sound stupid but in your experience what kind of training would ensure someone is qualified enough to check amps, remove/replace motors, disconnect/reconnect motors, etc.? I'm asking because my current employer seems to be weeding out the electricians who used to do these things and is asking general folks to carry out these tasks. When I questioned if this was a task for a licensed electrician, I was told to find something stating so and they might reconsider. It seems like a huge liability risk for them to even go there when most of us doing these tasks do not have an extensive background in electrical matters. What's your opinion?
it depends on where you are, and who you are doing the work for.
for example, a public utility in california must use "qualified" personnel in doing electrical work.
the utility however, is the sole arbiter of a persons qualifications.
that isn't as self serving as it sounds. the liability and risk to property and personnel is
enormous, and their requirements for an "authorized" person are pretty stringent.
in commercial electrical, calif. only licensed electricians may perform electrical work.
and electrical contractor may only employ licensed electricians or indentured apprentices.
now, it sounds like you have an employer who is not licensed as an electrical contractor,
employing people who are not authorized as electricians, to work on electrical work.
as such, your employers liability is not limited to financial risk if something goes badly wrong.
he can be held personally liable if someone is badly injured or dies as the result of something
electrically wrong.
the legal term is manslaughter. reckless disregard leading to the death of a human being.
you might want to show him this, and if he wants specific details on exactly what can happen,
send me a personal message, and i'll provide a contact phone number, and he can call me
and find out exactly how badly hooking up a 120 volt half horsepower motor can impact his life.
it cost the guy personally over 2 million dollars, and almost 2 years of his life in prison.
and it cost an innocent bystander her life.
