Emergency Response Team AND Every Electrician Trained?
Question: We have a volunteer Emergency Response Team in the plant trained in firefighting, rescue and HazMat.
Twenty four of the 75 members are EMT and they are available at all shifts. If needed, our team can respond within a very short time.
With the availability of trained emergency personnel, do we need to train all our electricians on basic first aid and CPR to comply with NFPA 70E?
A: You are likely fine, but there are some details you should check.
OSHA requires a 3–4-minute response time in OSHA 1910.269 and other OSHA literature. NFPA® 70E® – 2024 requires contact release training for all personnel that are exposed to electrical shock hazard(s) and people who may be tasked with responding to such events. This is an annual requirement.
Also, the 2024 edition requires first aid, emergency response, and resuscitation training for the employees that are expected to respond to electrical injury events. This training does include first aid and training to follow company emergency procedures.
Along with this training, responders are required to be well-versed in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of an automated external defibrillator if the company provides the unit(s). This training is required as often as the body certifying the training requires an update. 70E expects the employer to verify this training at least annually.
This does not mean that ALL employees or electricians MUST be trained but that those who respond MUST be trained and someone must be able to respond within 4 minutes.
e-Hazard encourages every electrical worker and supervisor to be trained on methods of release, and we have this built into our NFPA 70E training. It is our belief that basic electrical first aid and CPR training is a must!
Quick response to an electrical shock or burn event is critical. In a cardiac event, seconds are precious, and delays beyond four minutes are unacceptable, as success rates with CPR and/or AED after four minutes drop drastically. With rapid response involving CPR and use of an AED, the injured worker will have a high probability of survival and a low probability of subsequent brain damage.
Similarly, treatment for electrical burns from an arcing event also need to be provided immediately to minimize as best as possible the serious of the burn. This can be accomplished with proper application of gel burn blankets, quick application of cool water, and similar responses to burn victims. This guidance is provided in almost all basic first aid and CPR/AED courses.
