The Electrically Authorised Person Course
The Electrically Authorised Person (EAP) is responsible for the provision of safe working practices on low voltage systems within a company or organisation. This role can be fulfilled by a person with or without an electrical background, who has been trained to perform electrical isolations and meet the requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations.
The Electrically Authorised Person Course (EAP course) is a relatively new one, introduced by some course providers including City&Guilds, to meet the growing demand of companies and organisations that are concerned about electrical safety within their premises.
This course is aimed at experienced staff in supervisory or managerial positions, with or without an electrical background, but usually with some sort or engineering expertise.
Course duration in most cases is two days, comprising theoretical learning and practical exercises. It is not classed as a particularly hard course to complete, especially for delegates with electrical background.
What are the roles of an Electrically Authorised Person (EAP)?
An EAP is a responsible person appointed for:
- Taking electrical systems out of service for maintenance, repair or commissioning and reinstating once work is completed
- Identifying point of isolation on electrical circuits
- Performing electrical isolations in accordance with Safe Isolations Procedure, applying isolation locks and issuing Electrical Isolation Certificates
- Sanctioning work on electrical systems
- Performing audits.
In order to be successful in the roles above an EAP must have working knowledge of the following:
- Requirements of Electricity at Work Regulations
- Safe working practices with electricity
- Safe isolations of electrical circuits (including backup power supplies and UPS)
- Low voltage equipment, switchgear and protective devices
The Electrically Authorised Person Course is providing a set of skills that is quickly becoming a requirement within companies and organisations with complex electrical systems. It is a valuable addition to any managers or supervisors CV.
