There are many experienced electricians in the industry, but it doesn’t automatically mean that are qualified for everything they might encounter in the field.

When enforcing NFPA 70E, a qualified person must have a solid understanding of the operation and construction of the equipment as well as the circuit associated with the work at hand. A worker might be qualified to perform one electrical task but not qualified to perform a different electrical task on a specific piece of equipment. A worker could also be qualified to work on one type of equipment but not qualified to work on another similar type of equipment.

Notice in the definition below that the qualified person must have demonstrated their skills and knowledge. This is not just about having the knowledge of the work, procedure or equipment.

The following definitions can be found in Article 100 of NFPA 70E:

Below is a sample of NFPA 70E. For the complete section, see the actual NFPA 70E text at NFPA.ORG. Once there, click on the free access link to NFPA 70E.

Qualified Person. One who has demonstrated skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to identify the hazards and reduce the associated risk.