Electrical Safety Awareness Training in British Columbia: Online Course
Electrical Safety Awareness, $34.95 CAD
A 30 to 40 minute online course that covers the electrical safety concepts that BC OHS Regulation, Part 19 (sections 19.1 to 19.43) expects British Columbia workers to understand: how shock and arc flash injure, limits of approach to overhead lines, de-energizing and lockout, GFCIs and cord safety, the CSA Z462 boundary and PPE model, and what only a qualified electrical worker may do.
- Instant access after checkout, self-paced, works on any device
- Developed by CRSP-certified safety professionals
- Printable certificate of completion with verification code
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Awareness level: pairs with your employer's site-specific procedure
What this course is (and is not)
It is awareness-level training: the shared knowledge every non-electrical worker, supervisor and contractor needs to recognize electrical hazards and stay outside the limits of approach. It covers the concepts in BC OHS Regulation, Part 19 (sections 19.1 to 19.43) in plain language, with quizzes and a final assessment.
It is not an electrician or qualified-person designation, a CSA Z462 arc flash practitioner course, or a substitute for a site electrical safety program. British Columbia does not issue an electrical safety awareness licence, and this course does not authorize anyone to work on energized equipment. We do not claim the course meets or satisfies the regulation on its own; your employer pairs it with written procedures and supervision.
Buying for a crew? Corporate accounts let you assign seats and track completions. Need help writing the electrical safe work procedure or code of practice the regulation requires? Talk to a consultant.
What British Columbia Requires for Electrical Safety
Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (B.C. Reg. 296/97), Part 19, Electrical Safety, sections 19.1 to 19.43, in plain language.
In British Columbia, electrical safety is governed by Part 19 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (B.C. Reg. 296/97), sections 19.1 to 19.43. WorkSafeBC both writes and enforces the Regulation. Electrical installations and the licensing of electricians are regulated separately under the Safety Standards Act.
General requirements (sections 19.3 to 19.9). Poles and structures, obstructions, informing workers, service rooms, working space around equipment, testing equipment and insulated elevating work platforms are covered before the Part turns to energized work.
Low voltage equipment (sections 19.10 to 19.15). Low voltage electrical equipment must be completely disconnected and locked out before work starts. Where that is not practicable, the work must be done by qualified and authorized workers under written safe work procedures that require personal protective equipment and voltage-rated tools. Uninsulated energized parts must be guarded or kept in rooms accessible only to qualified and authorized persons, with warning signs at each entrance. Controls must be identified, portable equipment grounded, and ground fault circuit interrupters used where the Regulation requires.
High voltage equipment (sections 19.16 to 19.23). High voltage systems must be isolated and locked out under a person in charge, with switching sequences, isolating devices, grounding and blocking, and coordination among multiple authorities.
Working close to exposed conductors (sections 19.24 to 19.29). Before a person starts work close to high voltage equipment or conductors that are or could become exposed, they must be informed of the existence, location and voltage of the equipment and the procedures to be followed. Section 19.24.1 sets the minimum approach distances in Table 19-1A that a person, tool, machine, material or equipment must keep from exposed energized equipment. Working closer requires written assurance from the owner that the line is isolated, or the specially trained crews and emergency provisions the later sections describe.
Pruning, falling and control systems (sections 19.30 to 19.43). Tree work near energized conductors has its own limits of approach and qualifications, and the Part closes with requirements for programmable, automatic, remote and wireless control systems.
Part 19 does not reference CSA Z462; the standard is widely used in BC as guidance for arc flash boundaries and PPE. Guidance, inspections and claims are all handled by WorkSafeBC.
This summary is for awareness only and is not legal advice. Always read the current consolidated text on the official site linked above.
Who Needs Electrical Safety Training in British Columbia
Anyone who works near electrical equipment, uses powered tools and extension cords, or operates equipment near overhead or buried power lines, plus the supervisors who assign that work.
- Construction, crane and concrete pump operators near lines
- Sawmills, pulp mills and manufacturing maintenance
- Ports, marine terminals and warehousing
- Film, stage and event temporary power
- Utilities, telecom and utility arborist contractors
- Mining, aggregate and processing plants
- Municipal public works, water and wastewater
- Agriculture, greenhouses and irrigation
Also relevant for joint health and safety committee members, new and young workers, and contractors bidding on British Columbia construction, industrial or utility-adjacent work who need documented awareness training before mobilizing.
Electrical Safety Training British Columbia FAQs
Is electrical safety awareness training mandatory in British Columbia?
Part 19 of the OHS Regulation does not name a specific course for non-electrical workers. It requires that anyone starting work close to exposed high voltage equipment be informed of its existence, location and voltage and the procedures to follow (section 19.24), and that minimum approach distances be kept (section 19.24.1). Employers meet those expectations by pairing general awareness training with site procedures. This course supplies the awareness half.
Is this a WorkSafeBC-approved electrical safety certificate?
WorkSafeBC does not approve or issue electrical safety awareness certificates. This is an awareness-level course for the people who work near electricity, not on it; electricians are certified under the Safety Standards Act. On passing the final quiz you receive a printable certificate of completion with a verification code.
Can a non-electrician work on low voltage equipment in BC?
Section 19.10 requires low voltage electrical equipment to be completely disconnected and locked out before work starts. If that is not practicable, the work must be done by qualified and authorized workers under written safe work procedures with appropriate personal protective equipment and voltage-rated tools. This course does not make someone qualified or authorized; it explains why those rules exist.
How far must equipment stay from exposed high voltage conductors in BC?
Section 19.24.1 requires a person, tool, machine, material or equipment to remain at least the distance set out in Table 19-1A from exposed energized electrical equipment and conductors, based on the voltage. Working closer requires the owner's written assurance that the equipment is isolated and grounded, or the specific provisions in sections 19.26 to 19.29. The course covers the concept; the table sets the number.
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