It is the responsibility of the Employer, the task of assessing the electrical hazards associated with the presence of electrical installations and appliances, taking into consideration three main aspects:

• The specific conditions and characteristics of the work considering any interference
• Electrical hazards present in the workplace
• All foreseeable operating conditions of electrical systems and equipment

There is a clear difference in terms of risk between workers who simply “employ” electrical plant and equipment versus those workers (generally referred to as “electrical workers”) who perform, for example, plant maintenance operations, i.e., “electrical work” (as defined by the 2014 IEC 11-27 standard): in the former case, the substantial “inherent” safety of standardized plant and equipment guarantees a worker, properly informed about the basic concepts of electrical risk, while in the latter case only a precise definition of the scope of the electrical worker’s work, coupled with a specific training and training regarding electrical hazards, as well as the provision and use of Personal Protective equipment (PPE) makes it possible to ensure that “acceptable” levels of safety are achieved.

To carry out the electrical risk assessment for “Electrical Workers” and the selection of safety measures, the employer, should refer to the guidance found in IEC 11-27 (4th EDITION of 2014) and IEC 50110-1 (3rd EDITION of 2014).

Regarding electrical work, it is necessary to point out that Art. 82 states that live work is first of all prohibited, however, when unavoidably necessary for technical-organizational reasons, permitted on electrical installations with safety voltage, or on installations of category 0 and I, provided that the worker “engaged in electrical work” is educated and trained to work in compliance with the requirements set forth in CEI 11-27 and the employer has formally assigned the suitability for the performance of the specific activities actually carried out by the worker (meaning that the suitability cannot be generic, i.e., for any electrical work), and in compliance with work procedures set forth in the current technical standards (CEI 11-27:2014 and CEI EN 50110-1:2014).