Factory workers are unlicensed and able to do Electrical work?

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Clayton79

Member
Location
illinois
Occupation
Owner/operator
I agree with many of the comments here. My experience is that the Factory owners have Engineering staff... that usually/should direct/design stuff.. kind of how they get around the licensing angle here.. some bosses think anyone can change 277v ballasts....then when they don’t work...call myself or my competent unlicensed colleague whom has multiple associates degrees in electrical/electronics to fix it... there is sooo much save a penny stuff that creates hazardous situations you have to watch yourself..in the end that’s the only person you can control. And usually even so called qualified electricians from union training aren’t licensed...just means you can pass a test.


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tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
I’ve been an electrician for 26 years and I’ve never understood the reasoning of how everywhere else in the world we need a license to do work except in a Factory setting. Can anyone explain this to me, and why OSHA doesn’t do anything about it!?
What are the requirements for licensing, permits, inspections in your area at factories and industrial locations?
 

retirede

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
I was a plant facilities engineer 40 years ago. We employed a crew of electricians in-house (union, not licensed) whose work I would put up against any licensed electrician, quality-wise. They made my job much easier than it might have been.

I could hand them a 1-line with pipe and wire sizes, get the equipment it hooked to and they did the rest. I was the defacto inspector, and I don’t recall ever having to have them change anything.

They were already employed there when I started so I really don’t know their background or how they were trained, but something was done right!
 

__dan

Senior Member
Ct has an exception to the licensing law in the statute. It basically reads that if the employee holds a regular maintenance position and the company owns the property where the work happens, no license for electrical is required. You can also pull permits and Ct recognizes "any person" may pull the permit. But if the person also holds a license, then he must sign it. Don't quote me on that but that's my understanding. Any person may pull the permit, and the maintenance guy may do the work if he works for the company that owns the property. Anything else (except State, Federal, Utility, owner occupied single family), license is required.

Code violations are still against the law and the cite would be 29-252 where the NEC is adopted by statute.
 

mayanees

Senior Member
Location
Westminster, MD
Occupation
Electrical Engineer and Master Electrician
I was a plant facilities engineer 40 years ago. We employed a crew of electricians in-house (union, not licensed) whose work I would put up against any licensed electrician, quality-wise. They made my job much easier than it might have been.

I could hand them a 1-line with pipe and wire sizes, get the equipment it hooked to and they did the rest. I was the defacto inspector, and I don’t recall ever having to have them change anything.

They were already employed there when I started so I really don’t know their background or how they were trained, but something was done right!
That's the same situation I had 40 years ago at the Scott Paper/P&G plant in Dover, DE. There was an IBEW 313 electrical contractor that did most of the project work. The company was licensed. But the E&I shop employees (Electrical and Instrument techs) could do electrical installations. Delaware had what was referred to as the DuPont exception which allowed the company to keep a list of all electrical installations and have an annual inspection where only a portion of the work was inspected. The company had to have a PE with ten years experience to qualify for that, and I filled that role. Some of the E&I techs became qualified to take the Masters test and did. Then if the company no longer had a PE with ten years experience they could get each job inspected.
Nowadays from what I hear, the company uses operators to perform electrical troubleshooting and maintenance tasks, and uses E&I techs to do operations, looking to have a one-person completely skilled person. :ROFLMAO: I'm happy to say that I exited their ridiculousness 25 years ago and ended up working happily ever after.
 
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