In addition to all other qualifications, a
good grasp of safe work practices and the Canadian Electrical
Code are essential to everyone employed in the electrical
industry. This is true in particular when people are engaged
in electrical engineering, construction, maintenance or in
operating electrical facilities. It follows that the
electrical industry has a unique responsibility to ensure that
people are made aware of personal safety risks and fully
qualified to carry out their assigned responsibilities with
safety in mind.
The electrical environment is unforgiving
and requires that people have the necessary knowledge and
skills to avoid the harm of electrical shocks, explosions and
fires. Employers have a moral and legal responsibility to
provide workers with relevant experience, knowledge and skills
to keep themselves, their fellow workers and the general
public safe from harm. It’s no secret that electrical safety
depends heavily on education, training, professional
supervision and management.
Worker Competence
The ISO 9001:2000 international quality standard offers some
guidelines for developing worker competence. That portion of
the standard begins with a general requirement that workers
must be competent on the basis of appropriate education,
training, skills and experience. As a first step, all
essential tasks should have job descriptions that clearly
specify the minimum qualifications and responsibilities of
each position. In the electrical industry, safety is paramount
in all jobs.
Organizations can only achieve their
objectives (including safety objectives) with knowledgeable
and experienced people at all organizational levels. The
competencies of new hires should be determined by initially
comparing job requirements against the qualifications of each
new employee. Where professional development and training is
determined as necessary, it must be provided.
Training Plans
The next step is closing any identified gaps between a new
employee’s existing qualifications and the job requirements
and developing a training plan. While training is still a
primary means of achievement, other methods including industry
seminars, membership and participation in industry
associations are also recognized means to achieve these
objectives.
When qualified persons are selected to
positions that require detailed knowledge of safe work
practices, safety regulations and the electrical code,
management should develop training plans to ensure that the
necessary capability is achieved within a specified time.
Management must demonstrate its commitment to employee safety
and overall competency by ensuring that the necessary training
and supervision is provided.
Professional
Development and Training
Orientation is a frequently overlooked first step when someone
enters a new job. In addition to the usual obligatory details
concerning hours of work, vacation and weekly pay, new
employees should also be given a thorough understanding of:
-
The
organization’s policies and objectives
-
Any
organizational changes underway
-
Workplace
regulations, health and safety
-
The importance
of their own work to achieving the organization’s
overall objectives including safety objectives
Professional development and training
provided to both new and existing staff should be geared not
only to the immediate needs of the workplace, but should look
to the future and consider:
-
The future
demands of the workplace
-
Succession
planning
-
Changes in
work methods, tools and equipment
-
Regulations
and standards that could affect present and future work
-
Leadership and
management skills
-
Problem
solving
-
Communications
skills
Training
Evaluation
Not only must people become competent on the basis of
education, training, skills and experience, but that the means
used to achieve worker competence must continually be
evaluated in order to judge its effectiveness. It follows that
when the methods used are not achieving the required results
or where there is only limited success, management should look
for other options.
Evaluation of training usually starts with
an initial evaluation by those involved in the training. This
is followed up with short and longer term evaluations by
management to determine whether the participants have gained
the required knowledge, whether they are using it and whether
their overall performance has improved as the result of the
training received.
Complete and precise training records are
essential elements in developing employee safety skills and
overall competence. Management can only make informed
decisions on development needs, promotions and other decisions
when comprehensive and detailed information is readily
available.
In this industry, electrical safety
awareness and suitable skills are fundamental components of
overall competence. It is imperative that they not be
neglected.
Leslie Stoch, P.E. is principal of L.
Stoch & Associates, providing electrical engineering
and ISO 9000 quality systems consulting. Prior to that,
he spent over 20 years with Ontario Hydro as an
electrical inspection manager and engineer. Les holds a
B.S. in electrical engineering from Concordia University
in Montreal. |
