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Electrical Safety Program Responsibilities

Environmental Health & Safety responsibilities for this program include:

  • Developing, implementing, and administering the program.
  • Training on the program requirements and maintaining centralized records.
  • Serving as a technical resource for application of program requirements.
  • Providing guidance on the selection of protective equipment.
  • Evaluating the overall effectiveness of the program on a periodic basis and making appropriate changes as needed to assure the safety of personnel.

Involvement by Environmental Health & Safety does not relieve the departments, supervisors, or contractors of their individual responsibilities.

Departments are expected to maintain safe and healthy living, learning, and working environments for faculty, staff, students, and visitors to our campus.  

  • Each department performing energized electrical work must ensure that personnel assigned to such work are qualified, trained, provided with appropriate protective equipment, and are following approved procedures.  
  • Departments must ensure that all employees performing electrical work have attended Environmental Health and Safety Electrical Qualified Person training, Lockout/Tagout Authorized Person training, and are currently certified in first aid/CPR/AED.
  • Departments involved in electrical research must ensure that all projects are designed in compliance with accepted safety criteria and code intent. To facilitate compliance with these requirements, it is recommended that the department assign the duties outlined in this program to either a safety committee composed of qualified faculty and staff, the principal investigator, and/or the program supervisor as appropriate for the scope of departmental operations and conditions of use. The principal investigator and/or the program supervisor are responsible for assuring the acceptability of experimental electrical wiring and apparatus. 
  • Departments must ensure that electrical systems and related equipment are maintained in a safe manner in order to protect employees, students, and the public from hazardous conditions. Unsafe electrical conditions should be reported to the Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities immediately for correction at 540-231-4300.

Each department that performs electrical research covered by this program should assign duties outlined in this program to either a safety committee composed of qualified faculty and staff, the principal investigator, and/or the program/area supervisor, as appropriate, for the scope of departmental operations and conditions of use.

Principal investigator:

The principal investigator (PI) of the laboratory space(s) or operation(s) has responsibility for assuring compliance with all electrical safety requirements that pertain to maintaining a safe working environment and protecting laboratory employees, students, and visitors from injury or death as a result of electrical hazards. The PI has the responsibility to:

  • Ensure that work that impacts building electrical systems or the physical structure of the building complies with university Policy 5405. Work on building electrical supply systems must comply with the requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, and the other recognized authorities.
  • Ensure that appropriate controls (e.g. safe work practices, work protocols, necessary training, hazard warnings, covers and insulation, appropriate personal protective equipment, etc.) are established and implemented as necessary.
  • Ensure the acceptability of experimental electrical wiring and apparatus. In this capacity the principal investigator will, as needed:
    • Review drawings, tests, and other documentation provided by project coordinators, staff, students, or other responsible parties for compliance with accepted safety criteria and code intent.
    • Consult with appropriate specialists to verify that engineering, design, and construction parameters have been correctly applied.
    • Inspect power systems and incidental wiring related to the experiment.
    • Conduct other inspections and analyses as necessary to verify the acceptability of the apparatus involved.
    • Evaluate existing workplace safety by inspecting or assisting in the inspections of their workplace for compliance with the safety requirements outlined in this policy as needed.

The principal investigator or other designated departmental representative should use the following general guidelines to determine whether an individual is qualified for a specific electrical task. Different subsets of these criteria should be selected according to the exact nature of the task. The departmental representative should only authorize the task if he/she is satisfied that all relevant criteria are met. If it cannot be independently verified that an employee is qualified, assistance from the principal investigator or Environmental Health & Safety should be obtained.

  1. Describe in detail the scope of the task.
  2. Can the individual identify all possible electrical exposures?
  3. Does the individual have experience in the selection of test equipment for this job? What test equipment will be used?
  4. Does the individual know how to check the equipment calibration, condition, and operation?
  5. Does the individual know how to shut down, isolate, and verify all sources of energy that may cause harm?
  6. Is the individual aware of lockout/tagout (LO/TO) requirements and trained in LO/TO if required?
  7. Can the individual identify, interpret, and implement all applicable codes and standards pertaining to the task?
  8. Does the individual have the experience and training to independently distinguish correct construction techniques from incorrect techniques?
  9. Does the individual have the experience and training to select the correct materials and components and to use them in a manner consistent with their manufacture and/or listing?
  10. Can the individual distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate equipment grounding techniques? Is the individual thoroughly familiar with specific equipment grounding requirements for this apparatus?
  11. Does the individual have the experience and training to predict all likely failure modes of a particular construction, and to properly mitigate the effects of such failures?

Employees/students involved in electrical research projects involving electrical systems, equipment, or components greater than 50 volts (ac or dc) must:

  • Follow the requirements of this program;
  • Attend required training;
  • Wear assigned personal protective equipment; and
  • Know and respect the limitations of their technical skills and knowledge.

Contractors must comply with all local, state, and federal safety requirements, and must assure that all employees performing work on Virginia Tech property have been suitably trained and are provided appropriate personal protective equipment per the Safety Requirements for Contractors and Subcontractors program. 

All non-capital construction, renovation, and maintenance of university-owned facilities, and the installation of equipment within those facilities, shall be accomplished under the management and direction of the Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities, per Policy 5405. Contractors performing electrical work on university property must coordinate such work with their project manager to assure both parties are informed of existing hazards, personal protective equipment requirements, related safe work practices, and related emergency procedures. This meeting should be documented by Virginia Tech personnel.