How to Become a “Qualified Person” in Electrical Work

If you work in the electrical field, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the term qualified person in safety standards and workplace requirements. But what does this designation actually entail, and how does one earn it?

Both NFPA 70B (Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance) and NFPA 70E (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace) mandate that electrical maintenance work be performed only by qualified, properly trained technicians. When it comes to the training, these standards specify it must be tailored to each individual’s specific job functions and responsibilities.

The designation of qualified carries significant implications for electrical workers, their employers, and overall workplace safety protocols. Despite its frequent use, many professionals remain unclear about the specific criteria that constitute qualification.

In this blog, HeatSpring’s NFPA 70B instructor Alex Jahp explores the definition of a qualified person according to NFPA standards, breaks down the path to qualification, and examines the crucial role employers play in this designation. 

Transcript below

So who is a qualified person? Are you a qualified person? Am I a qualified person? 

Well, the answer’s a little bit complicated. 

Let’s start with the definition that NFPA 70E and 70B give us for a qualified person. They define qualified person as one who has demonstrated skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installation and has received safety training to identify hazards and reduce the associated risk. Both standards make clear that it’s up to an employer to determine who is a qualified person to work on certain pieces of equipment and perform specific tasks. 

So how does someone get to the point where they can be considered a qualified person?

NFPA 70E and 70B include this important exemption that creates space for technicians that are undergoing supervised on the job training to be considered qualified persons. This would allow them to do things like enter the restricted approach boundary in order to be able to perform electrical testing and work on circuits that haven’t been put into an electrically safe work condition.

They state that, “a person who is undergoing on-the-job training for the purpose of obtaining the skills and knowledge to be considered a qualified person, who in the course of such training demonstrates 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.”

Let’s unpack that a little bit. Essentially what it’s saying is that the path to becoming a qualified person requires that you receive training, supervision, and competency validation that’s specific to a particular piece of equipment or task. Ultimately, the qualified person who’s providing the supervision will determine when a person can be considered a qualified person.

To learn more about NFPA 70B and keeping your solar and storage sites safe, consider enrolling the NFPA 70B: A New Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance course.