Does Arc Flash Training Expire?

Arc Flash Training courses provided by Electrical Safety Specialists keep your employees up to date with the ever-changing NFPA 70E standards. Our introductory course covers the complex standards and regulations per OSHA and NFPA 70E, and the latest in OSHA’s enforcement direction. Although OSHA doesn’t enforce NFPA 70E, the agency can use the standard to support violations.

NFPA 70E – 2021 110.6(A)(3) states: 

“Aditional training and Retraining in safety-related work practices and applicable changes in this standard shall be performed at intervals not to exceed 3 years.

An employee shall receive additional training (or retraining) if any of the following conditions exists:

(1) The supervision or annual inspections indicate that the employee is not complying with the safety-related work practices.

(2) New technology, new types of equipment, or changes in procedures necessitate the use of safety-related work practices that are different from those that the employee would normally use.

(3) The employee must employ safety-related work practices that are not normally used during his or her regular job duties.”

In a nutshell, this means that training must be completed at least every three years, but there are several scenarios where employees must be retrained sooner. If their duties change to include equipment they have not previously worked with, their actions indicate they are not clear on electrical safety, or your equipment or procedures have changed, the affected employees must receive training again.

Who Is This Training For?

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.

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 Arc Flash 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 is developed to promote positive electrical safety culture and to regain respect for electrical hazards employees are exposed to. 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 course is well suited for an introduction to the NFPA 70E. Participants may include qualified and unqualified persons. The eight-hour course 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 satisfy the training requirements of OSHA and NFPA 70E for the documentable demonstratable ability in safe work practices. Participants may include management and personnel working on or near energized electrical equipment.

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