{"id":4740,"date":"2019-01-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-19T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/electrical-risk-and-electrical-works-definitions-classifications-and-assessment-approaches\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T18:09:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T17:09:05","slug":"electrical-risk-and-electrical-works-definitions-classifications-and-assessment-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/electrical-risk-and-electrical-works-definitions-classifications-and-assessment-approaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Electrical risk and electrical works: definitions, classifications and assessment approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Eng. Ottavio Grande<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In recent years \u2014 also in light of frequently serious accidents \u2014 awareness and attention to electrical risk have grown. The involvement of different figures in the framework of electrical works is also becoming increasingly apparent: from the person responsible for the installation to the person directing the works. The topic is therefore complex and calls for consideration not only of purely technical or objective aspects, but also of the related responsibilities and, more broadly, the management and organisational dimensions. The following sections seek to clarify the principal legislative requirements and the key measures applicable in the different scenarios identified by the regulations and guidelines, which generally vary according to the electrical characteristics (e.g. voltage) and distances from the so-called live parts of the installation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Electrical risk and electrical works<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Legislative Decree 81\/2008, under Title III, Chapter III (Article 80), defines electrical risks as those arising from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>direct or indirect electrical contact;<\/li>\n<li>ignition and propagation of fires and burns caused by dangerous overheating, electric arcs and radiation;<\/li>\n<li>ignition of explosions;<\/li>\n<li>direct and indirect lightning strike;<\/li>\n<li>overvoltages;<\/li>\n<li>other reasonably foreseeable fault conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In particular, it specifies that these risks are relevant where &#8220;connected to the use of materials, equipment and electrical installations made available to them&#8221;. Further regulatory references currently in force are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CEI EN Standard 50110-1:2014 (Operation of electrical installations, general requirements);<\/li>\n<li>CEI Standard 11-27:2014 (Work on electrical installations).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These documents are supplemented by additional operational guidance, in particular:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>INAIL Guideline &#8220;Electrical work at high voltage&#8221;, 2017 edition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Compliance of electrical installations with legal requirements \u2014 that is, their construction according to the &#8220;state of the art&#8221; \u2014 is the prerequisite for assessing residual electrical risk in work activities (as required by Article 81 of Legislative Decree 81\/2008) (note 1); this prerequisite is ensured through regularly performed and documented verification and maintenance activities.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation requires compliance with specific technical, organisational and procedural measures to eliminate or minimise electrical risk. In line with regulatory requirements, particular attention is devoted to ensuring that workers are not exposed to electrical risks; in particular, the following must be guaranteed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>design, construction and manufacture of all materials, machinery and equipment, as well as electrical and electronic installations and systems, in accordance with the state of the art by authorised companies, as required by current legislation;<\/li>\n<li>compliance with the instructions contained in the operating and maintenance manuals of equipment used, as well as with current legislative provisions and the standards of good practice set out in Annex IX of Legislative Decree 81\/2008;<\/li>\n<li>any work on live parts must be carried out by authorised companies; execution must be entrusted to workers certified as competent under the relevant technical standards and recognised as suitable for such activities. The procedures adopted and equipment used must conform to the criteria defined in the relevant technical standards;<\/li>\n<li>a prohibition on all workers carrying out work in the proximity of electrical lines or installations with live parts that may be unprotected or that (even due to particular or temporary circumstances) should be deemed insufficiently protected;<\/li>\n<li>verification of the level of protection against lightning strike risk and, where necessary, implementation of lightning protection systems designed in accordance with standards of good practice for the protection of buildings, installations, structures and equipment;<\/li>\n<li>periodic checks on the condition and safety efficiency of electrical installations, in accordance with standards of good practice and current legislation, without prejudice to the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 462 of 22 October 2001;<\/li>\n<li>verification and monitoring of work activities carried out by workers through qualified external personnel, in accordance with the procedures prescribed for contracted works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The above must be ensured by the responsible internal functions (typically engineering and electrical maintenance) through qualified external companies, in accordance with the operating procedures prescribed by the relevant technical standards. On this basis, the risk assessment must necessarily focus on residual risks (i.e. risks not fully eliminated or minimised in light of the design, construction and management of installations and equipment in accordance with the state of the art) associated with work activities carried out on or near installations and\/or areas posing potential electrical risk. It is therefore fundamentally important to distinguish between what must be guaranteed from a technical or objective standpoint and what depends on additional measures of an informational, training and\/or organisational nature. The investigation into the possible presence of residual risks must be conducted within the framework of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/services\/occupational-safety-consultancy\/preparation-of-the-dvr\/\"><strong>JOB TASK ANALYSIS<\/strong><\/a>, with reference to Chapter III of Title III of Legislative Decree 81\/2008, and must examine the specific conditions and characteristics of the work and the risks present in the work environment, including those arising from any interference between activities.<\/p>\n<p>Importantly, in most cases \u2014 namely those involving the simple use of equipment powered by mains voltage \u2014 electrical risk manifests only when the safety barriers built into installations or equipment during construction fail; therefore, it arises only from faulty construction or negligent use (in this regard, proper maintenance management, the prohibition on modifications and works \u2014 see the definition of electrical works in CEI Standard 11-27 \u2014 in the absence of protections, etc. are considered adequate prevention and protection measures). There are, however, workers \u2014 such as those involved in the operation, maintenance or testing of electrical systems \u2014 who are to be considered exposed to electrical risk during their work activities. The same may also apply to personnel who work in the vicinity of electrical installations (see the concept of &#8220;proximity&#8221; in CEI Standard 11-27), even though they do not deal directly with such installations \u2014 for example, construction site activities that may take place near installations or parts of installations that are live (or where live parts are otherwise present). What must therefore be defined is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>which types of activity within each job role may involve the performance of &#8220;electrical works&#8221;;<\/li>\n<li>which specific procedures must be adopted in the presence of electrical risk for each type of activity performed;<\/li>\n<li>which work activities are to be considered &#8220;live working activities&#8221; within the meaning of Article 82 of Legislative Decree 81\/2008 (note 2).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As already discussed, Legislative Decree 81\/2008 does not explicitly refer to &#8220;electrical works&#8221;, but rather to &#8220;electrical risk&#8221; more broadly, understanding &#8220;safe conduct of work&#8221; as operations that may expose workers to a significant electrical risk (in addition, of course, to the requirements for live working, which is generally prohibited). Given this definition, reference is nonetheless made to the need for &#8220;use and maintenance procedures [&#8230;] prepared and implemented in compliance with current legislative provisions, the instructions contained in the operating and maintenance manuals of equipment falling within the scope of specific product directives, and those set out in the relevant technical standards&#8221; (principally, at least for electrical works management, CEI Standard 11-27). The definition of &#8220;electrical works&#8221; is therefore derived from CEI Standard 11-27 and covers works carried out at a distance less than the prescribed distance (&#8220;Dv&#8221;) from accessible live parts of lines and electrical installations, or works carried out de-energised on the same. This distance is the fundamental parameter for distinguishing between the different types of activity involving electrical risk.<\/p>\n<p>The distance Dv is the limit beyond which (outer boundary of the zone) there is no longer a proximity working zone; conversely, if the working distance is less than the distance Dv, the work is considered live working \u2014 i.e. carried out in a zone where the worker may come into contact with live parts, whether with the body, with tools, equipment or devices being handled.<\/p>\n<p>(Source: CEI Standard 11-27)<\/p>\n<p>The following diagram summarises the differences between electrical works and\/or works in proximity and activities otherwise involving &#8220;electrical risk&#8221;, as defined by Article 80 of Legislative Decree 81\/2008. The work procedures, information and training, as well as any practical instruction, use of specific PPE and monitoring requirements for each job role involved, are based on this distinction.<\/p>\n<p>(Source: INAIL Guidelines)<\/p>\n<p>Accordingly, under current legislation and regulations on electrical works, works are classified as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>works without significant electrical risk;<\/li>\n<li>works with electrical risk;<\/li>\n<li>works with electrical risk, in turn, depending on the distance from conductors, may be classified as: non-electrical works (i.e. in a non-electrical work zone);<\/li>\n<li>electrical works (i.e. in proximity or live working zones).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This initial classification has made it possible to distinguish the broad categories of works, in particular by defining with greater precision what is meant by electrical risk in general, and by &#8220;electrical works&#8221;. The following sections show how, in the first case, the prescribed measures are predominantly collective and &#8220;physical&#8221; in nature, while in the second, specific training and practical instruction measures, the adoption of rigorous procedures and, where appropriate, the use of specific PPE are also required.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><em>(1) All materials, machinery and equipment, as well as electrical and electronic installations and systems, must be designed, constructed and manufactured in accordance with the state of the art. (2) Without prejudice to the legislative and regulatory provisions transposing European Community product Directives, the materials, machinery, equipment, installations and systems referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed to be constructed in accordance with the state of the art if they are built in compliance with the relevant technical standards.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Live working is prohibited. Such works are, however, permitted where the voltages being worked on are safety voltages, as defined by the state of the art, or where the works are carried out in compliance with the following conditions:<\/li>\n<li>the procedures adopted and equipment used conform to the criteria defined in technical standards;<\/li>\n<li>for Category 0 and I systems, provided that the execution of work on live parts is entrusted to workers recognised by the employer as suitable for such activities in accordance with the relevant technical standards;<\/li>\n<li>for Category II and III systems, provided that:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>(1) work on live parts is carried out by companies authorised by specific order of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies to perform live working;<\/p>\n<p>(2) the execution of work on live parts is entrusted to workers certified by the employer in accordance with the relevant technical standards and recognised as suitable for such activities.<\/p>\n<p>Note (from Annex IX): in relation to their nominal voltage, electrical systems are classified as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Category 0 systems, also known as extra-low voltage, with nominal voltage equal to or less than 50 V AC or 120 V DC (non-ripple);<\/li>\n<li>Category I systems, also known as low voltage, with nominal voltage exceeding 50 V up to 1000 V AC or exceeding 120 V up to and including 1500 V DC;<\/li>\n<li>Category II systems, also known as medium voltage, with nominal voltage exceeding 1000 V AC or exceeding 1500 V DC up to and including 30,000 V;<\/li>\n<li>Category III systems, also known as high voltage, with nominal voltage exceeding 30,000 V.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Where the nominal voltage to earth exceeds the nominal voltage between phases, the nominal voltage to earth shall be used for system classification purposes. An electrical system means that part of an electrical installation comprising a set of electrical components having a given nominal voltage.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2019 CEPER \u2014 All rights reserved<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the definitions and classifications of risk and electrical work, as well as the measures to apply in the cases provided for by the legislation, with Ceper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4739,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4740"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4742,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740\/revisions\/4742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ceper.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}