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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Electrical Safety at Work (UK): Safe Isolation, Lock-off and Arc Flash

Work safely on and near electrical equipment under UK law: how shock and arc flash injure, risk assessment, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, HSE guidance HSR25, HSG85 and GS38, safe isolation, lock-off under PUWER regulation 19, BS EN 50110-1 roles, arc-flash incident energy with IEEE 1584 as an international method, arc-rated PPE to IEC 61482, live working only when justified, and permits to work.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
12
Video
18 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain how shock, burns, arc flash and arc blast injure; write a task-based electrical risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; carry out and write up the safe isolation procedure (identify, isolate, secure, prove-test-prove) with GS38 test equipment; set out a lock-off procedure under PUWER regulation 19, including group lock-off and handover; decide safe working distances and barriers near live parts; scale an arc-flash incident energy with the IEEE 1584 idea and find the arc flash boundary; choose and inspect arc-rated PPE to IEC 61482 and read an arc-flash label; decide whether live working is justified under regulation 14 and complete a permit; apply the Electricity at Work Regulations, HSR25 and RIDDOR; and audit, investigate and brief on electrical safety.

  • Work out a body current from voltage and resistance and explain shock, burns, arc flash and arc blast
  • Write a task-based risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
  • Carry out safe isolation: identify, isolate, secure and prove-test-prove with GS38 test equipment
  • Set out a lock-off procedure under PUWER regulation 19, including group lock-off and handover
  • Choose barriers and safe distances near live parts, knowing the Electricity at Work Regulations set no fixed LV distances
  • Scale an arc-flash incident energy with the IEEE 1584 idea and choose arc-rated PPE to IEC 61482
  • Decide whether live working is justified under regulation 14 and complete a permit to work
  • Explain EAWR 1989, HSR25, BS EN 50110-1 competence roles and RIDDOR, then plan an audit and an investigation

Software

None required. A spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc) helps with the incident energy scaling and the project. The HSE guidance used in the course (HSR25, HSG85, GS38, HSG250) can be read free on hse.gov.uk.

Hardware

None. A two-pole voltage indicator with proving unit, a lock-off kit and a warning notice make the practice tasks more real, but every task can be done on paper.

Syllabus

12 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1How electricity injures: shock, burns, arc flash and arc blast4 lessons
  2. 2Risk assessment for electrical work under UK law6 lessons
  3. 3Safe isolation: identify, isolate, secure and prove dead7 lessonsLab
  4. 4Lock-off and LOTO: procedure, devices, group lock-off and handover7 lessonsLab
  5. 5Working near live parts: danger zones, barriers and safe distances4 lessons
  6. 6Arc-flash incident energy: the IEEE 1584 idea, hand estimate against software5 lessons
  7. 7Arc-rated PPE (IEC 61482), arc-flash labels and PPE inspection4 lessons
  8. 8Live working: when it is justified (EAWR regulation 14) and permits to work5 lessons
  9. 9Test instruments: GS38, CAT ratings and prove-test-prove7 lessonsLab
  10. 10UK law and competence: EAWR, HSR25, PUWER and RIDDOR5 lessons
  11. 11Safety audits, incident investigation and toolbox talks7 lessons
  12. 12Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Isolate a motor bucket step by step, with lock, tag and a prove-test-prove check, before you ever touch live equipment.

Works alongside Electrical Safety at Work (UK): Safe Isolation, Lock-off and Arc Flash. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Electrical Safety at Work (UK): Safe Isolation, Lock-off and Arc Flash

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Who is this electrical safety course for?
Electricians, maintenance technicians, engineers, supervisors and safety officers who work on or near electrical equipment in Great Britain. Basic electrical knowledge is enough; one module uses simple arithmetic to scale arc-flash incident energy.
Is this competence or authorised person training?
No. It is awareness training. Under regulation 16 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, only your employer can judge you competent for a task, and the EDWartens certificate is a certificate of completion, not a competence award or an authorisation to work on live equipment.
Which law and standards does it cover?
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, PUWER 1998 regulation 19, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and RIDDOR 2013, with HSE guidance HSR25, HSG85, GS38 and HSG250, and the BS EN 50110-1 roles of skilled and instructed persons. Arc flash uses IEEE 1584-2018 as an international method and IEC 61482 for arc-rated PPE. The US NFPA 70E appears only as a labelled comparison. The notes paraphrase the standards and do not reproduce their tables.
Do I need software or test equipment?
No. Every task can be done on paper or in a free spreadsheet. The HSE guidance used in the course is free on hse.gov.uk, and a two-pole voltage indicator with a proving unit, a lock and a notice make the practice more real if you have them.
How long does the course take?
About 14 hours of video lessons, notes and practice across eleven teaching modules, at your own pace; the videos alone are about 5 hours.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment are free to learn. The only paid item is the certificate, if you want it.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the 15-question final assessment at 60 percent, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is not an HSE, IET or NFPA credential, and it does not make you competent or authorised.
Will it help me get work?
It covers the safe isolation, lock-off and permit to work knowledge that employers in industry, utilities and construction expect from electrical staff. No course can promise a job; your employer's own assessment of your competence still decides what you may do. Testing and Maintenance of Transformers and Switchgear is a natural next step.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module