Trades in Alberta

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Scope of Profession - Electrician

In this section,

  • “electrical system” means any type of residential, commercial, institutional or industrial building or structural electrical system and includes the following:
    • fire alarm systems;
    • signal systems;
    • control systems;
    • lighting systems;
    • heating and cooling systems;
    • systems providing power;
    • data systems;
    • communication systems;
    • fibre optic systems;
    • lightning protection systems;
    • cathodic protection systems;
    • grounding and bonding systems;
  • “external electrical circuit” means the components of an impressed current cathodic protection system that are down line of the rectifier;
  • “impressed current cathodic protection system” means an electrical system that reduces the corrosion of a metal surface by making the metal surface into the cathode of an electrochemical cell by means of direct current supplied by a power source;
  • “rectifier” means the component of an impressed current cathodic protection system that starts with the input terminal of the internal breaker and includes all wiring, connections and components up to and including the output terminals and the enclosure;
  • “undertakings of the designated trade” means the installation, alteration, repair, inspection, verification, commissioning, maintenance and operation of electrical systems.

Undertakings and Activities

When practicing or otherwise carrying out work in the undertakings of the designated trade, the following are activities within the designated trade of electrician: 

  • interpreting electrical industry codes, including the CSA Standard C22.1, Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, Safety Standard for Electrical Installations declared in force, as amended or replaced from time to time, by the Electrical Code Regulation (AR 209/2006); 
  • erecting, assembling, removing, repairing, replacing and using scaffolding, handling devices, hoists, slings, ropes, rigging equipment and related hardware;
  • using hand tools, power tools, testing equipment and specialty tools required by the designated trade; 
  • preparing holes and openings for conductors, cables, raceways, boxes and fittings, fasteners and devices and making panel backboards, box supports and similar items; 
  • selecting and specifying location and planning layout of electrical systems, components and controls from drawings, specifications, contract documents and related information; 
  • scheduling labour and material requirements for electrical work; 
  • testing electrical and electronic equipment and components for continuity, current, voltage and resistance; 
  • installing, repairing, examining, operating, removing, replacing, altering, maintaining, connecting, testing, energizing and cleaning the following:
    • electric surface or flush mounted receptacles, junction, outlet and device boxes and components; 
    • feeder and distribution busways and busducts; 
    • lighting fixtures and related electrical equipment and components; 
    • dry cell and storage batteries and storage battery systems;
    • consumer’s service entrance distribution and metering equipment for connection to overhead and underground supply; 
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution; 
    • power transformers, regulators, capacitors, phase converters and reactors; 
    • generator sets, including auto start and transfer systems for standby use and synchronized systems and their controls; 
    • alternating current to direct current conversion devices and power inverters for conversion of direct current to alternating current; 
    • electrical appliances, electrical heating, solar heating, ventilation and air conditioning units, components and controls;
    • oil, gas, coal, electric or wood burner control systems, or any combination of them, and associated wiring; 
    • infra-red heating units and other types of infra-red units, controls and components; 
    • fire alarm systems; 
    • security systems, intrusion alarms, access control, card key lock systems or similar equipment; 
    • clock systems, including self-correcting or synchronized master-slave equipment and programmable time devices for signals, energy management, lighting control and similar installations; 
    • sound and visual communications systems; 
    • fibre optic systems and components; 
    • electronic devices, discrete devices, manual or automatic devices, control devices, limit switches, pilot or sensing devices, signal devices, circuits and indication lamps, panels or similar equipment and components; 
    • relay, static logic or programmable control components and systems; 
    • servo-mechanisms and associated circuitry, robotic systems and numerically controlled and computerized numerically controlled systems;
    • electric motors, generators, controls, other electromechanical devices and auxiliary equipment; 
    • motor starters, motor speed controllers and braking systems, direct current solid state drives, alternating current adjustable frequency drives, magnetic drive assemblies and controls; 
    • recording instruments and metering instruments; 
    • grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems, including systems using storage; 
    • grid-isolated solar photovoltaic systems; 
  • installing, repairing, examining, removing, replacing, altering, maintaining, terminating, splicing, connecting, testing, energizing and cleaning the following: 
    • cable assemblies; 
    • underground and overhead wiring installations; 
    • high voltage conductors, cables, terminations and insulation materials; 
    • lighting fixtures and related electrical equipment and components;
    • dry cell and storage batteries and storage battery systems; 
    • electric heat tracing cable assemblies and controls; 
  • installing, repairing, examining, removing, replacing, altering, maintaining, connecting, testing and cleaning the following: 
    • raceway systems, including fittings; 
    • mechanical supports and protection for electrical systems; 
    • grounding and bonding systems; 
  • terminating and splicing the following: 
    • feeder and distribution busways and busducts; 
    • fibre optic systems and components; 
  • terminating the following: 
    • electric surface or flush mounted receptacles, junction, outlet and device boxes and components; 
    • lighting fixtures and related electrical equipment and components; 
    • dry cell and storage batteries and storage battery systems; 
    • consumer’s service entrance distribution and metering equipment for connection to overhead and underground supply; 
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution; 
  • programming and calibrating the following:
    • generator sets, including auto start and transfer systems for standby use and synchronized systems and their controls; 
    • relay, static logic or programmable control components and systems; 
    • servo-mechanisms and associated circuitry, robotic systems and numerically controlled and computerized numerically controlled systems; 
  • calibrating the following: 
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution; 
    • electrical heating, solar heating, ventilation and air conditioning units, components and controls; 
    • oil, gas, coal, electric or wood burner control systems, or any combination of them, and associated wiring; 
    • electric motors, generators, controls, other electromechanical devices and auxiliary equipment; 
    • motor starters, motor speed controllers and braking systems, direct current solid state drives, alternating current adjustable frequency drives, magnetic drive assemblies and controls; 
    • recording instruments; 
  • lubricating the following: 
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution; 
    • generator sets, including auto start and transfer systems for standby use and synchronized systems and their controls; 
    • electric motors, generators, controls, other electromechanical devices and auxiliary equipment.

Restricted Activities

The following activities, when performed within undertakings of the designated trade and by the specified classes of individuals, are restricted activities within the designated trade of electrician:

  • interpreting electrical industry codes, including the CSA Standard C22.1, Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, Safety Standard for Electrical Installations declared in force, as amended or replaced from time to time, by the Electrical Code Regulation (AR 209/2006);
  • erecting, assembling, removing, repairing, replacing and using scaffolding, handling devices, hoists, slings, ropes, rigging equipment and related hardware;
  • using hand tools, power tools, testing equipment and specialty tools required by the designated trade;
  • preparing holes and openings for conductors, cables, raceways, boxes and fittings, fasteners and devices and making panel backboards, box supports and similar items;
  • selecting and specifying location and planning layout of electrical systems, components and controls from drawings, specifications, contract documents and related information;
  • scheduling labour and material requirements for electrical work;
  • testing electrical and electronic equipment and components for continuity, current, voltage and resistance;
  • installing, repairing, examining, operating, removing, replacing, altering, maintaining, connecting, testing, energizing and cleaning the following:
    • electric surface or flush mounted receptacles, junction, outlet and device boxes and components;
    • feeder and distribution busways and busducts;
    • lighting fixtures and related electrical equipment and components;
    • dry cell and storage batteries and storage battery systems;
    • consumer’s service entrance distribution and metering equipment for connection to overhead and underground supply;
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution;
    • power transformers, regulators, capacitors, phase converters and reactors;
    • generator sets, including auto start and transfer systems for standby use and synchronized systems and their controls;
    • alternating current to direct current conversion devices and power inverters for conversion of direct current to alternating current;
    • electrical appliances, electrical heating, solar heating, ventilation and air conditioning units, components and controls;
    • oil, gas, coal, electric or wood burner control systems, or any combination of them, and associated wiring;
    • infra‑red heating units and other types of infra‑red units, controls and components;
    • fire alarm systems;
    • security systems, intrusion alarms, access control, card key lock systems or similar equipment;
    • clock systems, including self‑correcting or synchronized master‑slave equipment and programmable time devices for signals, energy management, lighting control and similar installations;
    • sound and visual communications systems;
    • fibre optic systems and components;
    • electronic devices, discrete devices, manual or automatic devices, control devices, limit switches, pilot or sensing devices, signal devices, circuits and indication lamps, panels or similar equipment and components;
    • relay, static logic or programmable control components and systems;
    • servo‑mechanisms and associated circuitry, robotic systems and numerically controlled and computerized numerically controlled systems;
    • electric motors, generators, controls, other electromechanical devices and auxiliary equipment;
    • motor starters, motor speed controllers and braking systems, direct current solid state drives, alternating current adjustable frequency drives, magnetic drive assemblies and controls;
    • recording instruments and metering instruments;
    • grid‑connected solar photovoltaic systems, including systems using storage;
    • grid‑isolated solar photovoltaic systems;
  • installing, repairing, examining, removing, replacing, altering, maintaining, terminating, splicing, connecting, testing, energizing and cleaning the following:
    • cable assemblies;
    • underground and overhead wiring installations;
    • high voltage conductors, cables, terminations and insulation materials;
    • lighting fixtures and related electrical equipment and components;
    • dry cell and storage batteries and storage battery systems;
    • electric heat tracing cable assemblies and controls;
  • installing, repairing, examining, removing, replacing, altering, maintaining, connecting, testing and cleaning the following:
    • raceway systems, including fittings;
    • mechanical supports and protection for electrical systems;
    • grounding and bonding systems;
  • terminating and splicing the following:
    • feeder and distribution busways and busducts;
    • fibre optic systems and components;
  • terminating the following:
    • electric surface or flush mounted receptacles, junction, outlet and device boxes and components;
    • lighting fixtures and related electrical equipment and components;
    • dry cell and storage batteries and storage battery systems;
    • consumer’s service entrance distribution and metering equipment for connection to overhead and underground supply;
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution;
  • programming and calibrating the following:
    • generator sets, including auto start and transfer systems for standby use and synchronized systems and their controls;
    • relay, static logic or programmable control components and systems;
    • servo‑mechanisms and associated circuitry, robotic systems and numerically controlled and computerized numerically controlled systems;
  • calibrating the following:
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution;
    • electrical heating, solar heating, ventilation and air conditioning units, components and controls;
    • oil, gas, coal, electric or wood burner control systems, or any combination of them, and associated wiring;
    • electric motors, generators, controls, other electromechanical devices and auxiliary equipment;
    • motor starters, motor speed controllers and braking systems, direct current solid state drives, alternating current adjustable frequency drives, magnetic drive assemblies and controls;
    • recording instruments;
  • lubricating the following:
    • loadcentres, panelboards, fused switch and breaker assemblies, switchboards, switchgear, protective relays, associated circuitry and other devices for power distribution;
    • generator sets, including auto start and transfer systems for standby use and synchronized systems and their controls;
    • electric motors, generators, controls, other electromechanical devices and auxiliary equipment.

 

For greater certainty, the following activities are not restricted activities within the designated trade of electrician:

  • installing, commissioning, monitoring, evaluating, maintaining, repairing and decommissioning the external electrical circuit portion of an impressed current cathodic protection system;
  • troubleshooting and replacing components of a rectifier that is not installed.
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