Difference Between a Qualified Person and an Unqualified Person in Electricity

First, when opening electrical equipment or a panel, the worker must be qualified for the task that needs to be performed. This worker becomes a qualified person if he or she has the competency cards specific to the trade, if required. This qualified person understands the design and use of electrical equipment, identifies live components, knows the access distances, and selects and uses the appropriate testing instrument. Furthermore, he or she is familiar with all safety techniques, personal protective equipment (PPE) and electrical equipment and tools.

What you need to know is that the qualified person can work within a restricted perimeter of 0.3 metres with between 151 V and 750 V on the energized equipment, but he or she must have the necessary PPE for the task and a risk analysis if lockout isn’t feasible. The perimeter established by the qualified person will therefore be larger than 0.3 metres to protect unqualified individuals.

Unqualified Person

A person who is unqualified, on the other hand, may be exposed to electrical hazards but doesn’t open the panel to perform electrical tasks. Here we’re talking about a supervisor, a mechanic or a maintenance person who, for example, needs to clean the floor of the electrical room. He or she doesn’t need to be a qualified person for this but does need to take a short training to understand the electrical hazards related to the task. The unqualified person needs to know the difference between a direct and indirect shock, the consequences of an electric shock or arc flash on the body, how to handle a disconnect switch in case of an emergency and any other relevant information for his or her safety.

The online training offered for the unqualified person will answer all these questions and convey the importance of understanding a few concepts about electricity in general. The most important thing is that the unqualified person must heed a perimeter, known as the restricted zone.

Unlike the restricted perimeter of 0.3 metres for the qualified person, it’s 1 metre for the unqualified person with between 151 V and 750 V on the energized equipment according to the CSA Z462-2021 standard. If the person enters this perimeter, he or she must also wear PPE for protection against potential hazards (shock and/or arc flash) and be constantly accompanied by a qualified person. Arc flash PPE will be worn based on the distance from the perimeter of the arc flashes.

There are many risks to being exposed to electrical hazards. Training for unqualified people is essential training for anyone who is involved in any way with this situation. The important thing is to understand the risks and eliminate them as much as possible.

So, after this training you’ll know the risks of being near an electrical panel, the standard’s respective perimeters, the effects of shocks and arcs on the body and much more.