How is first aid supposed to be addressed?

OSHA references first aid by directing employers to the requirements under 1926.951. However, employers must provide more than first aid. OSHA says, “when employees are performing work on exposed lines or equipment at 50 volts or more, for field work involving two or more employees at a work location, at least two trained persons must be available.”

This means that employees must be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This is the same CPR training requirement for general industry employers as outlined under 1910.269(b)(1).

For fixed work locations like a substation, OSHA says the number of trained persons must be sufficient to ensure that each employee exposed to electric shock can be reached within 4 minutes by a trained person.

However, where the existing number of employees is insufficient to meet this requirement (at a remote substation, for example), each employee at the work location has to be a trained employee.