Employees performing work on or near electric power generation or transmission or distribution facilities require training, even if they are performing nonelectrical work. This is so employees can identify the hazards and use safe work methods to control the hazards to their safety.
In a recent post for Incident Prevention Magazine, Pam Tompkins, CSP, breaks down OSHA’s Electric Power Training Requirements (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V), explaining topics such as “covered work,” the specifics of training and qualification requirements as well as retraining, risk assessment, job substitution and program effectiveness.
“Employees must demonstrate proficiency in their work practices before training is considered complete. Training without demonstrated proficiency does not equal qualification,” says Tompkins. “Employees in training must be under direct supervision until they have demonstrated proficiency. Additionally, although OSHA does not require documented training, it is always a good practice to document training and completion of demonstrated proficiency.”
For more on the requirements, visit OSHA’s FAQ page on the standard. The agency also has an eTool on the standard, as well as a page that contains examples of incident reports and supplemental documents related to the standard, including a Q&A page and memorandums regarding enforcement among others.