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Double insulation is often used for portable electrical equipment, hence additional earthing is
not required.

Advantages Disadvantages
• Double layers to enclose live conductors • Requires regular inspection
• No earthing required • No earth protection

Use of Competent Person

A competent person is someone who has the suitable training, skill and knowledge for the task
to be undertaken to prevent injury to themselves and others.

A successfully completed electrical apprenticeship, with some post-apprenticeship experience, is
one way of demonstrating technical competence for general electrical work.

More specialised work, such as maintenance of high-voltage switchgear or control system
modification, is almost certainly likely to require additional training and experience.

The competent person will need to have:

• sufficient knowledge of electricity.
• sufficient experience in similar electrical work being carried out.
• understanding of the hazards created by electricity and available precautions.
• Capable of identifying dangerous situations and ability to recognise whether it is safe to
continue work.

Use of Safe System of Work

The hazards associated with electrical work cannot be physically eliminated, hence it is necessary
to develop safe system of work.

Working on or Near Live Electrical Systems

Electricity at work regulation 1989 – Regulation 14, restricts working near live electrical system,
unless it is unreasonable in all circumstance to make it dead. Working with live system must be
justified where the work cannot be avoided then a safe system of work must be developed to
carry out live work.
SSoW may likely to use the following controls:

• Permit-to-Work system

• Competent person
• Insulated PPE (anti-static gauntlets and boots)

• Insulated tools and equipment (screwdriver, digging tools)
• Designated work areas (such as ‘earth-free zones’)

ENSIGN | Unit IG2 – Element 11 – Electricity 11