The decree classifies workers by what they may do:
| Role | Who it is (annex I) |
|---|---|
| Any worker | No specific electrical training. |
| Authorised worker | Someone the employer has authorised for certain work with electrical risk, because they can do it properly. |
| Qualified worker | An authorised worker with specialised knowledge of electrical installations, through recognised vocational or university training, or two or more years of certified experience. |
| Person in charge of the work | The person appointed by the employer to take effective responsibility for the work. |
What any worker may do
- Elementary operations on low voltage, such as connecting and disconnecting, with equipment designed for use by the general public (article 4.3.a).
- Always following the manufacturer's normal procedure and after checking the equipment is in good condition.
Everything else (isolating an installation, switching, measurements, replacing fuses, live work) is done by authorised or qualified workers, depending on the case (table 3 of the guide).
In practiceThe bar's coffee machine sparks when you plug it in. Plugging in and unplugging
is an elementary operation you may do; opening it or changing its plug is not: take it out of use, report it and let the
right person check it.
Source: Real Decreto 614/2001, sobre protección frente al riesgo eléctrico (Royal Decree on protection against electrical risk; consolidated text, in Spanish), article 4.3 and annex I, points 13 to 15 · INSST, Guía técnica para la evaluación y prevención del riesgo eléctrico (technical guide, 2020, in Spanish), comments on article 5, table 3