Job Briefing

Before starting each electrical job, the employee in charge shall conduct a job briefing with the employees involved – even where workers are skilled in the tasks. Reviewing related work task hazards and safety requirements is always beneficial. A job briefing is simply a discussion of the work task to be performed.  It should be as extensive as necessary to ensure that workers have a complete understanding of their exposure to an electrical hazard prior to beginning the work task. The briefing must include a discussion of the following subjects:

• Electrical hazards (shock and arc flash) associated with the work task;
• Procedures that must be followed when executing the work task;
• Any special precautions that are required by the working conditions;
• Where and how to remove the energy source;
• Emergency response and emergency communications;
• Required personal protective equipment;
• Other work in the immediate physical area; and
• Other work associated with the same electrical circuits or equipment.

If the work to be performed during the workday or shift is repetitive and similar, at least one job briefing should be conducted before the start of the first job of the day or shift.  If significant changes that might affect the safety of employees occur during the day, a new job briefing should be conducted.

If the work involved is routine and if the employee (by virtue of training and experience) can reasonably be expected to recognize and avoid the hazards involved in the job, a brief discussion shall be satisfactory. A more extensive discussion should be conducted if either of the following applies:

• The work is complicated or particularly hazardous.
• The employee cannot be expected to recognize and avoid the hazards involved in the job.

Job briefings must be documented where an Energized Electrical Work Assessment is required.