Arc Flash Training: How Often Is It Required?

Arc Flash Training courses provided by Electrical Safety Specialists keep your employees up to date with the ever-changing NFPA 70E standards. These courses are taught nationwide and cover the complex standards and regulations per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NFPA 70E. Electrical Safety Specialists offers NFPA 70E training in 4-hour, 8-hour, and Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) sessions.

Arc Flash Training Requirements

OSHA 1910 Subpart S mandates that any employee who might come into contact with an electrical hazard must receive electrical safety training. Though OSHA does not specifically call for NFPA 70E training, it is considered the industry standard for worker safety and compliance.

Employees must be retrained in safe work practices and in any changes to the NFPA 70E standard at least once every three years. Training is also required when new equipment is added, after a change in job duties, or after failed inspections.

Qualified And Unqualified Persons

NFPA 70E Arc Flash Training should include both “qualified persons” trained to work directly with electrical equipment and “unqualified persons,” such as management, mechanics, or janitorial staff who operate around an electrical hazard. It could also include outside contractors or visitors to the facility.

Employees must be retrained at least once every three years in safe work practices and in any changes to the NFPA 70E standard. Retraining is also required after discrepancies are discovered during annual audits of employees’ performance, when new equipment has been added, or after a temporary change in job duties. 

Although OSHA will issue citations for failure to properly train employees, this shouldn’t be a prime motivator when developing an electrical safety training program. NFPA 70E Training protects employees from injuries, creates a positive workplace, and builds a culture of safety within the company.

Arc Flash Training Course Contents

The course begins with positive electrical safety culture, including why a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, the evolution of the electrical worker, and the ever-present danger of electricity. 

The classes also thoroughly cover shock hazards like shock boundaries, shock protection, and the requirement for shock hazard analysis; when insulated tools and equipment are required; the dynamics of arc flash and arc blast; meter safety; and much more.

The four-hour NFPA 70E Training is well suited for an introduction to the NFPA 70E. Participants may include qualified and unqualified persons. The eight-hour NFPA 70E Training is a more in-depth understanding of the necessary requirements of the NFPA 70E and what steps need to be taken to stay compliant with OSHA and the NFPA 70E. Participants may include management, qualified, and unqualified persons. The Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) training consists of the 8-hour NFPA 70E classroom training with a written exam combined with hands-on practical exams. Each attendee will receive full documentation sufficient to prove them qualified.

For more information on NFPA 70E Arc Flash Training, contact ESS at (816) 925-0443 or click here.