Ecmweb 8448 Thinkstockphotos 476144769
Ecmweb 8448 Thinkstockphotos 476144769
Ecmweb 8448 Thinkstockphotos 476144769
Ecmweb 8448 Thinkstockphotos 476144769
Ecmweb 8448 Thinkstockphotos 476144769

Tip of the Week: Just How Qualified Are Your Maintenance Workers?

Sept. 26, 2016
Set your goals higher than minimal safety requirements and strive to achieve top performance.

OSHA requires workers to be “qualified,” and the reason is safety. Workers must have the training to do the job safely.

The NEC requires workers to be “qualified,” and the reason is so that they know what to do to achieve a safe installation.

If you are involved in maintenance and stop there, financial loss is almost certainly being incurred. Safety and performance are two different things. Read Sec. 90.1 in the NEC, and apply that thinking to maintenance.

Credit: Lambros Kazan/iStock/Thinkstock

Sometimes, what appears to be a qualified maintenance force isn’t. Consider the case of an industrial services firm that offered a complete array of maintenance services. They had two sales engineers on staff, and their job was to secure large contracts. Brian was one of those two.

Brian got a lead on a large manufacturing plant. Through someone who knows someone, the plant engineer contacted him about providing a small crew to help tide the plant over until it could get certain downtime issues under control.

During the initial phone call, Brian got a feel for what was going on. He asked the manager if the plant had a thermographer and if so, what his qualifications were.

“Oh, yes, we have a Level I Certified thermographer.”

Brian persuaded this prospective client to let Brian bring one of his thermographers to look at the equipment during their initial meeting. Brian’s thermographer was Level II Certified and also had a Master Electrician license.

Can you guess where this story is going? Yes, that’s right. Brian’s thermographer found 23 problems inside one cabinet alone. All problems the client’s thermographer didn’t find.

This circumstance also occurs regularly in other areas of expertise, where a minimally qualified person (for safety) isn’t qualified to be an expert (for finding performance issues).

How can you locate qualification holes in your organization? Build a qualifications matrix (i.e., spreadsheet) that lists advanced qualifications across the top and the names of individuals going down the left side.

One problem that commonly arises in doing this is that the maintenance manager assigned to build the matrix isn’t qualified to know what the advanced qualifications are. That problem may be solved any of a number of ways, such as asking equipment manufacturers, engaging a maintenance consulting firm, or consulting with an electrical services firm.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Electrical Conduit Comparison Chart

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS electrical conduit is a lightweight, durable option that provides lasting savings when compared to other materials. Compare electrical conduit types including...

Don't Let Burn-Through Threaten Another Data Center or Utility Project

Get the No Burn-Through Elbow eGuide to learn many reasons why Champion Fiberglass elbows will enhance your data center and utility projects today.

Considerations for Direct Burial Conduit

Installation type plays a key role in the type of conduit selected for electrical systems in industrial construction projects. Above ground, below ground, direct buried, encased...

How to Calculate Labor Costs

Most important to accurately estimating labor costs is knowing the approximate hours required for project completion. Learn how to calculate electrical labor cost.