Three Rules Behind the Course
Different standards apply depending on where you work. The course explains each at an awareness level.
General industry work practices
OSHA's electrical standards in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S — including 1910.332 (training) and 1910.333 (work practices) — expect workers facing electrical risk to be trained to recognize and avoid it.
Cranes near power lines
In construction, 29 CFR 1926.1407–1411 governs crane operations near power lines, including encroachment prevention and minimum approach distances. Your lift plan and qualified personnel apply them.
NFPA 70E
The consensus standard many employers use for arc flash and shock protection programs. This course introduces its vocabulary; it does not make anyone qualified under it.
Awareness only: this course is for unqualified persons. Work on or near exposed energized parts requires qualified-person training from the employer.
Course Outcomes
Recognize everyday electrical hazards: damaged cords, wet locations, overloads and exposed conductors
Explain shock, arc flash and arc blast, and why distance is the best protection
Use cord-and-plug equipment, GFCIs and extension cords correctly
Know what only qualified electrical workers may touch — and leave the rest alone
Respond to a shock incident without becoming a second victim
Power Lines and the Lift Crew
Boom contact with overhead lines is one of the classic crane fatality scenarios, and the people most often hurt are those touching the crane, the load or the tag line — not the operator. That's why riggers, signal persons and ground crew need electrical awareness as much as the person in the seat.
Under Subpart CC, the default approach for lines up to 350 kV is to keep the crane, load and rigging at least 20 feet away unless the employer uses one of the other permitted procedures; higher voltages require more distance. The course explains why the rule is built around distance, and our mobile crane exam prep covers the power line questions you'll see on the written certification test.
On the ground, the course covers the hazards everyone handles: extension cords run across wet pads, generator connections, damaged plugs and tools without ground-fault protection.
Who Needs Electrical Awareness
- Riggers and tag line handlers
- Signal persons
- Crane and boom truck operators
- Laborers and helpers
- Maintenance staff (non-electricians)
- Supervisors and lift planners
Qualified vs. unqualified
A qualified person has training to work on or near exposed energized parts. Everyone else is unqualified and must stay clear. This course is written for the unqualified worker; your employer provides any qualified-person training and site electrical procedures.