The BA4 or BA5 certificate: working safely on or with electrical installations
Working with electrical installations involves risks. This includes things like overheating, fire, or electric shocks when touched. Therefore, only employees with a BA4 or BA5 certificate may perform work with or on installations. You draw up this legally required certificate yourself. Here’s how to do that.
Working safely on or with electrical installations in 4 steps
1. Complete a risk analysis.
2. Select competent employees together with the health and safety officer.
3. Provide the appropriate training.
4. Draw up the certificate.
As an employer, you must perform a risk analysis for every electrical installation in your company. This not only lists the possible dangers and common shortcomings in electrical installations; it also details the work that employees perform on or during the installation.
Risk analysis as a measure of competence
Only competent employees may perform the listed activities. As an employer, you determine yourself – in consultation with the health and safety officer – who these people are. How? By testing the experience and knowledge of each employee against the activities in the risk analysis. Only those with the necessary skills are able to work on or with the electrical installation.
A risk analysis is always dynamic: an update is crucial when circumstances change – such as a new installation or an extension.
With our practice-oriented risk analysis of electrical installations at work training course, employees learn to take preventive measures to protect themselves and their colleagues.
Provide the appropriate training
Are there no employees who are aware of the electrical installations and the associated risks? Then you can organise an appropriate training course. This is where employees acquire the necessary skills to work on, around, or with an electrical installation.
There is no such thing as a general education. You choose who teaches the workshop: a training organisation or someone – internal or external – with expertise in the necessary skills.
Introducing our e-learning 'Performing small electrical work safely for informed persons (BA4)'
We developed a tailored e-learning for staff who occasionally carry out small electrical work. They can do this whenever and wherever they want and at their own pace. After a short test, participants receive a training certificate. You, as employer, can use it to draw up a certificate of competence.
View the contents of the e-learning.
The difference between BA4 and BA5
Declaring an employee competent is a first step, but after that, you as an employer must draw up a BA4 or BA5 certificate. This legally required certificate states that they can correctly assess the dangers of electrical equipment.
Employees need either the BA4 (informed) or BA5 (competent) certificate.
- Employees who may come into contact with the risks of electrical installations, but hardly work on them themselves or not at all, need the BA4 certificate (informed). Examples are maintenance employees and painters. They may perform non-electrical tasks in the vicinity of machinery. Minor changes to the installation may only be performed under the permanent supervision of an employee who has been declared competent.
- Employees who work on or with electrical installations themselves must have the BA5 (competent) certificate. Engineers and technicians, for example. They can personally assess possible dangers and identify measures that reduce the risks.
Here’s how to draw up the certificate
The certificate, which you draw up together with the health and safety officer, contains these 6 elements at least:
- the name and position of the employee;
- the employee’s authority: informed (BA4) or competent (BA5);
- the basis for the allocation: diplomas obtained, training followed, or experience gained;
- the specific installation(s) or parts of installations that the employee is authorised to work with and the activities that the employee is authorised to perform;
- any additional conditions, such as required protective equipment;
- the period of validity of the certificate. You determine this in consultation with the health and safety officer.
Free choice, important decision
As an employer, you decide for yourself which employee(s) will be granted the BA4 or BA5 certificate. It is in your best interest to only issue a certificate to employees who have the right skills. This way, you limit the risk of occupational accidents and keep everyone safely at work.
Introducing our BA4 e-learning
We developed a tailored e-learning for staff who occasionally carry out small electrical work. Staff can take this course at their own pace and at a time of their choosing. After a short test, participants receive a training certificate. You, as employer, can use it to draw up a certificate of competence.