electrical panel safety

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Puckdrop 31

Member
Location
new jersey
Occupation
retired electrician
In the industrial field of electrical safety there is or was a qualified worker to open panels or do electrical work. Is there any rule in the residential area for a person to be a QW to inter act with electricity??
 

Meltric_South

Member
Location
Austin, TX
Occupation
Regional Sales Manager
I don't know about any rule, but the qualified worker requirement comes from NFPA70E which is a guide for employer's on how to keep their employees electrically safe in the work environment. OSHA has rules that the employer must keep the worker safe so I would suspect that any "rule" would be in relation to the employer and the employee. Not sure if that helps.

In my experience the only time this really comes to a head is when someone gets injured/killed on the job and OSHA is looking at fault. Or companies are being proactive in order to prevent liability.
 

Bluegrass Boy

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Commercial/ Industrial/ Maintenance Electrician
The company I started with as an apprentice had a policy of “ do not touch” anything live for at least your first year in the trade. And depending upon what experience you gained during that time, it could be longer. I can’t remember when I started terminating wires on breakers that were off, but in a live panel.
There are bad habits that people do that need to be corrected early. For instance, using two hands on a screwdriver, one on the grip, and one on the shank, while terminating a wire.
I was taught to observe the work to be done, and the surrounding area of that location for potential hazards, like other trades also working nearby, trip hazards, etc.
“ Measure twice, cut once.”
 

Dsg319

Senior Member
Location
West Virginia
Occupation
Wv Master “lectrician”
The company I started with as an apprentice had a policy of “ do not touch” anything live for at least your first year in the trade. And depending upon what experience you gained during that time, it could be longer. I can’t remember when I started terminating wires on breakers that were off, but in a live panel.
There are bad habits that people do that need to be corrected early. For instance, using two hands on a screwdriver, one on the grip, and one on the shank, while terminating a wire.
I was taught to observe the work to be done, and the surrounding area of that location for potential hazards, like other trades also working nearby, trip hazards, etc.
“ Measure twice, cut once.”
I really like this post. Makes me think when working on job site with other people and equipment moving to just take a minute, scope the area and plan ahead. No need to rush into things.
 

Bluegrass Boy

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Commercial/ Industrial/ Maintenance Electrician
I really like this post. Makes me think when working on job site with other people and equipment moving to just take a minute, scope the area and plan ahead. No need to rush into things.
The first year for me, I was with the the same electrician. And “ no need to rush into things “ was something he taught me.
This was on jobs that would last weeks, to months. He would always get the prints, and scope out the building to see where everything was first. His jobs always went smooth, and finished on time.

Another guy I worked under, was always in a rush and would say, “just start mounting boxes and running pipe,” without really checking things out. We always ended up having to move pipe runs and boxes, because it would get covered by mechanicals, or be in the way of something. And guess who usually has to move their stuff?
The electricians. This is commercial btw.
 

wbdvt

Senior Member
Location
Rutland, VT, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer, PE
And Washington does not enforce OSHA 70E.

There is no OSHA 70E. There is OSHA 1910 Subpart S which covers electrical and is law and there is NFPA 70E which is a voluntary consensus standard. NFPA 70E was developed at the request of OSHA and is used by OSHA to refer people to for compliance to Subpart S. So if you are following NFPA 70E you are in compliance with OSHA Subpart S.
 
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