electrician legalities

[Leyeden]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? ohio
i am an electrician in ohio. i am looking for information like books or case law about electrical accidents. i work for an electrical contractor and have been looking at case law from google scholar and also reading the ohio revised code but cannot find much case law to see how the ORC is actually interpreted. the issues i am predominately looking into is if i am apart of work that winds up getting someone hurt, what all happens. by the ORC the contractor is responsible for methods of construction and quality, in other states some electricians have gotten into trouble and i wanted to research how the law is interpreted in ohio. any information or direction is appreciated. by the way, the company does not do anything that you would know would hurt anyone but they do cut code required corners that if something happens could be argued contributed to the accident.


thank you

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? ohio
i am an electrician in ohio. i am looking for information like books or case law about electrical accidents. i work for an electrical contractor and have been looking at case law from google scholar and also reading the ohio revised code but cannot find much case law to see how the ORC is actually interpreted. the issues i am predominately looking into is if i am apart of work that winds up getting someone hurt, what all happens. by the ORC the contractor is responsible for methods of construction and quality, in other states some electricians have gotten into trouble and i wanted to research how the law is interpreted in ohio. any information or direction is appreciated. by the way, the company does not do anything that you would know would hurt anyone but they do cut code required corners that if something happens could be argued contributed to the accident.


thank you

Are you licensed?

 

[justalayman]

If your actions are negligent you could be held liable for the damages caused. A company does not cut corners, the actual installer does. You need to refuse to perform work that does not conform to applicable codes. It would be you installing the equipment so that is who, ultimately, is responsible.

 

[justalayman]

Are you licensed?

I have found nothing that requires an electrician to be licensed. The contractor is required to be licensed as an electrical contractor though.

 

[FlyingRon]

ORS 4740.01/02 gives the state the authority to set up licensing boards to create the regulations to which electricians (as well as plumbing, HVAC, etc...) to be licensed.

As pointed out, you are individually responsible for any negligence on your part regardless of what your employer tells you to do. No safe harbor there. The employer is also jointly and severably liable for the misdeeds of his employees.

 

[Leyeden]

Are you licensed?

no, its not required here

 

[FlyingRon]

no, its not required here

Someone in your business must be. Anybody engaged in electrical contracting must have a license (even if he can employ unlicensed apprentices).

 

[Leyeden]

If your actions are negligent you could be held liable for the damages caused. A company does not cut corners, the actual installer does. You need to refuse to perform work that does not conform to applicable codes. It would be you installing the equipment so that is who, ultimately, is responsible.

this is the definition of negligence i find
negligence-A failure to behave with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances.

in ohio, the contractor has a electrical contractors license.

this is the last sentence of my original post
"by the way, the company does not do anything that you would know would hurt anyone but they do cut code required corners that if something happens could be argued contributed to the accident."

if i know they are violating building codes, but i don't think it will likely cause harm, am i negligent if it winds up causing harm?

is the act of the contractor (my employer) directing me to install something a certain way a good reason for me to believe it is not negligent to do so?

 

[Leyeden]

Someone in your business must be. Anybody engaged in electrical contracting must have a license (even if he can employ unlicensed apprentices).

i thought that to for Ohio, but i am reading "National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies contractors guide for Ohio" and it says you only need a license for commercial work, not industrial or residential electrical. although i believe most municipalities require a license for the others, can you post a reference for the license requirement for electrical contracting, i cannot find it in ohio revised code, only thing i find is the establishment of a licensing board

thanks

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

https://www.com.ohio.gov/dico/ocilb/licensequalificationprocess.aspx

When they say commercial contractors they aren't excluding residential and industrial. They mean doing it for money.

 

[Leyeden]

https://www.com.ohio.gov/dico/ocilb/licensequalificationprocess.aspx

When they say commercial contractors they aren't excluding residential and industrial. They mean doing it for money.

i don't have the book with me right now, i'll post the exact text later but it said something to the effect of "in ohio a state license is required for commerical electrical work but not industrial or residential"

there a 3 basic segments of electrical work; industrial, commercial and residential

i emailed that board that you posted the link to probably three weeks ago asking about it and have not got a response. part of the reason i was reading the book is because there license exam preparation said to read that book LOL.

i always thought a state license was required until i read that, now that i have been looking through the ohio revised code for it, i cannot find it required

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4740

The above is a link to the law. I can find nothing in it that divides the requirement into the three classes as you describe. As with most laws it does have the agency that regulates it produce regulations so it is possible that it is divided in those regulations but I doubt it. It is also possible that I simply can't find it.

It also allows political subdivisions to have requirements. And I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that if the state laws do require only your definition of commercial electricians to be licensed the cities and counties, especially those of any size, have jumped in and required all of them to be.

 

[Leyeden]

some more background information


my employer (the electrical contractor) is where i get my training for the jobs.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

You can work under the supervision of a licensee. In fact you are required to before you can get a licence.

 

[Leyeden]

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4740

The above is a link to the law. I can find nothing in it that divides the requirement into the three classes as you describe. As with most laws it does have the agency that regulates it produce regulations so it is possible that it is divided in those regulations but I doubt it. It is also possible that I simply can't find it.

It also allows political subdivisions to have requirements. And I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that if the state laws do require only your definition of commercial electricians to be licensed the cities and counties, especially those of any size, have jumped in and required all of them to be.

most municipalities do.