What a Basic Electrical Course Should Cover

If your building needs an electrical maintenance team you may well decide to recruit members of your existing team and train them for the task at hand. In most cases, they’ll start with a basic electrical course.

Choosing the right basic electrical course is important. The course needs to provide all the information needed for basic electrical maintenance, including safety and an understanding of electrical codes. While students will not leave the course as fully trained electricians, you want them to learn enough to handle basic maintenance. And, as members of your maintenance crew, you don’t want them tied up by excessively long course times.

Start with the Fundamentals

A good basic electrical course starts with the basics, without assuming students have any previous electrical background. Through a mix of study materials and hands-on exercises, students should learn about the fundamental nature of electricity, circuitry, and building electrical systems.

Safety Issues

The course needs to instill a healthy respect for the power of electricity and its potential to injury. Arc flash risks, personal protective equipment use, lockout/tagout procedures and the importance of developing safe work practices should all be covered.

Basic Skill Development

With the fundamentals and safety covered, a well-deigned basic electrical course turns to the practical aspects of electrical maintenance. Wiring installation, basic tools, reading electrical single-line diagrams, and common electrical maintenance tasks all need to be covered. Students should leave the course not only with a solid basic understanding of electrical maintenance, but also an awareness of the limits of their new skills. Knowing when to call for specialized help could, without hyperbole, save a life.

TPC Training's Basic Electricity for the Non Electrician

TPC Training offers basic electrical training specifically designed for non-electrical maintenance personnel working in commercial and industrial buildings. Available as a two-day online seminar, TPC Training's Basic Electricity for the Non Electrician can also be provided on-site if you so choose. Successful completion of the course includes a certification of eight classroom hours, or 0.8 continuing education units, and students may take the optional ATMT® certification exam at any time after completing the basic electrical course.