Why a 3-Hour Tape Certification Falls Short
Peter Waugh brings 44 years of experience in fields of maintenance and human resources management. Peter graduated in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. He started his career with Westinghouse Industrial Field Service servicing power distribution equipment. He then moved to the Pulp & Paper industry where he worked ...
Why a "3-Hour Tape" Certification Falls Short
Electrical safety is no place for shortcuts. After over four decades in this field, I’ve learned that hard lesson: when lives are on the line, there is no “good enough” training. Yet, I was taken aback recently to hear that some contractors are “certifying” their workers in Arc Flash and High Voltage Safety by simply having them watch a three-hour video tape. Let me be clear – that approach is dangerously inadequate. Arc flash incidents are not rare “freak accidents”; they happen with alarming regularity. In fact, an estimated five to ten arc flash explosions occur every single day in the U.S., injuring or burning upwards of 2,000 workers a year (with Canadian incidents being roughly 10% of that). Given stakes that high, we owe it to our teams to do far better than a quick video class.
So what exactly is a “3-hour tape” certification? Essentially, it’s a one-time, passive training session – often a recorded video or online module – that runs for about three hours. When it’s over, workers get a certificate proclaiming them trained in Arc Flash and high-voltage safety. For some companies, the appeal is obvious: minimal work downtime, a cheaper training cost, and a checked box for compliance. But checking a box is not the same as truly preparing a worker for the deadly realities of electrical work.
Arc flashes and high-voltage hazards are complex subjects. Can we honestly expect someone to absorb all the necessary knowledge and practical skills in a single afternoon just by watching? In those three hours, there’s no hands-on practice, no live discussion, no opportunity to ask questions or clarify understanding. There’s certainly no assessment of whether the person can actually perform the safe work practices in the field. At best, a short video might cover basic theory – at worst, it lulls workers and employers into a false sense of security. It’s the equivalent of learning to drive by watching a documentary on cars; would you trust that driver on a busy highway the next day? I suspect not.
In contrast to the “quick and cheap” approach, the training we deliver at Canada Training Group is decidedly hands-on, immersive, and led by experts. Our Arc Flash & High Voltage Safety course runs two full days – and there’s a good reason it’s that long. It’s taught by instructors with decades of field experience (40+ years each, in many cases) who have seen and handled the kinds of situations most people only read about. We dig deep into the material: not just the what of safety procedures, but the why behind them. We use real case studies of accidents and close calls, and interactive discussion to ensure every participant can connect the dots between theory and practice.
This kind of rich, in-person training demands more time and effort, but it pays off. Participants work through calculations or hazard assessments under the guidance of an instructor, and they witness firsthand what an arc flash incident can do – often through controlled videos far more engaging than any self-paced slideshow. The difference is night and day. Questions are encouraged at every step; if something isn’t clear, we address it on the spot. If a participant has a real example from their workplace, we dissect it and extract lessons. This level of engagement simply cannot be matched by a static 3-hour recording. That depth and real-world context give workers the tools and confidence to actually apply safety practices on the job – not just recall a few slides from a video.
Interestingly, many people don’t realize what they don’t know until they undergo proper training. During a recent course I taught, a few attendees admitted something eye-opening: initially, when they heard our Arc Flash/High Voltage Safety course would last two days, their first thought was “that’s too much”. After all, they had seen others get “certified” in a few hours via video – so why were we insisting on 16 hours? But by the end of our course, every single one of them had completely changed their tune. In fact, they told us those two days flew by, and they wished we had even more time to cover additional scenarios and questions that came up. Suddenly, that 3-hour tape they once thought was sufficient looked laughably inadequate.
Their reactions speak volumes.
So let’s do it right. Ditch the “3-hour tape” mentality and commit to real, hands-on safety training for you and your team. In the long run, nothing will protect our lives, our equipment, and our reputations better than a well-trained crew that refuses to take shortcuts when it comes to safety. It’s time to raise the bar – because when it comes to arc flash and high voltage safety, anything less than the best training is simply not enough.
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Peter Waugh
Instructor, Canada Training Group
