Professional competence in electrical engineering: who is allowed to work on electrical systems in a company (end of Decree 50)

Who in a company is allowed to work on electrical equipment? After 2022, the answer is different from what most operations were used to for years.

Managing directors, building managers, and operations managers are often unsure – is the old “Decree 50” qualification enough, or is something else needed now? And who is actually allowed to connect a socket, repair a machine, or sign an inspection report? The following text summarizes the current legal situation so you can quickly get your bearings and know what documentation to require from your people.

The End of “Decree 50” – What Applies Today

Since 1 July 2022, Act No. 250/2021 Coll., on occupational safety in connection with the operation of designated technical equipment, and the implementing Government Regulation No. 194/2022 Coll., on requirements for professional competence in electrical engineering, have been in effect. The famous Decree No. 50/1978 Coll., which everyone called “Decree 50,” was repealed on that date – and with it, the sections that every other company used to invoke ceased to apply.

This does not mean that existing qualifications expired overnight – documents issued under the old regulations remain valid until the period for which they were issued expires. However, the new rules changed three fundamental things:

• They introduced new names for groups of persons (trained, instructed, qualified).
• They introduced shorter validity periods for some examinations.
• They more precisely defined what each person is allowed to do and specified the scope of independent activity, supervision, and inspections.

So, if someone today claims they have “Section Six,” they are referring to a dead regulation. What matters is the scope of authorization according to Government Regulation No. 194/2022 Coll.

Three Groups of Persons – Who Is Allowed to Do What

Act No. 250/2021 Coll. divides persons working on electrical equipment into three groups. The difference between them is practical – it determines whether a person is only allowed to operate the equipment, repair it while de-energized, or work on it live and perform inspections.

The most common mistake in practice is considering an instructed person as someone who “can do almost everything.” Yet, an instructed worker without the supervision of a qualified person must not work on live equipment and certainly must not interfere with a switchboard where the power is not turned off.

Qualified Persons in Detail – Electrical Technician, Lead Electrical Technician, Certified Electrical Inspector

Government Regulation No. 194/2022 Coll. distinguishes three levels of qualified persons. Each has a precisely defined scope of activity.

Electrical technician (§ 6 of GR 194/2022)

• May perform independent activity on electrical equipment within the scope of the issued certificate – typically installation, repairs, maintenance, measurement, and live work, if the certificate specifies this scope.
• The examination is arranged by the employer, or, as a self-employed person, they arrange it for themselves.
• Certificate validity – 3 years.

Lead electrical technician (§ 7 of GR 194/2022)

• In addition to the electrical technician, may manage activities on electrical equipment, manage operations, and design.
• This certificate is also valid for 3 years.

Certified electrical inspector (§ 8 of GR 194/2022)

• The only one allowed to perform inspections of designated electrical equipment.
• The certificate is issued by an authorized organization – the Technical Inspection of the Czech Republic (TIČR) – based on a passed examination.
• Certificate validity – 5 years (according to § 11, paragraph 3 of Act 250/2021 Coll.).
• Without a valid certificate of the relevant scope, the certified electrical inspector must not perform the inspection, and if they perform and sign it, the inspection report is invalid.

Beware of traditional jargon – people used to say “I have §6” (electrical technician), “§7” (lead), “§8” (certified electrical inspector). Today’s sections in GR 194/2022 Coll. do use numbers 6, 7, 8, but they mean something different and are definitely not the same as in Decree 50. In practice, it is safer to talk about a “qualified person – electrical technician” than a “person with Section Six.”

Validity and Repetition – Where Companies Make the Most Mistakes

The biggest change that caught many operations off guard compared to the old practice is the validity period of certificates for qualified persons.

• The certificate for an electrical technician and lead electrical technician is valid for 3 years. After three years, a new examination is required. Mere “training” is not enough – knowledge verification must take place in the prescribed manner (Act 250/2021 § 19, paragraph 2).
• The certified electrical inspector certificate is valid for 5 years. After this period, the certified electrical inspector must pass a new examination at an authorized organization.
• Instruction is repeated at most every 3 years. Annual periodic training is not sufficient here – it must be a proper re-examination of the instructed person.
• Periodic training for employees working on electrical equipment must be provided by the employer at least once a year, unless an internal regulation stipulates a stricter interval (GR § 3).

In practice, we encounter companies that consider their electrical technicians’ certificates to be valid “indefinitely” – typically old certificates from the Decree 50 era that no one has looked at for five or ten years. This is risky. During a labor inspectorate check or an insurance claim, the absence of a valid certificate can mean a serious problem.

Employer’s Obligations – Clearly and Briefly

According to § 3 of GR 194/2022 Coll., the employer must ensure that activities on electrical equipment are performed only by professionally competent persons. In a nutshell, this means three things:

1. Assign the right person to each activity – a layperson may operate, an instructed person may work on small and low voltage while de-energized, a qualified person may work independently within the scope of their certificate.
2. Ensure regular training (at least once a year, unless an internal regulation stipulates otherwise).
3. Maintain documentation – examination certificates, certificates, records of instruction and training.

For self-employed persons, the obligation applies directly to them – they arrange the necessary examination and its validity themselves.

Another thing companies often don’t realize: lightning protection system (LPS) inspections may only be performed by a certified electrical inspector with an E3A scope certificate. If someone who only has general electrical inspections without E3A comes to do your LPS inspection, the report is not valid, and the insurance company may not recognize it in the event of a claim. More in the article Lightning Protection System Inspection: How Often According to ČSN EN 62305.

The Most Common Company Misconceptions

We summarize five statements we hear most often from clients – and which are incorrect today.

“Decree 50 still applies, right?” It does not. It was repealed by Act No. 250/2021 Coll. on 1 July 2022. Old certificates are phasing out; new ones are no longer issued.

“An electrical technician has a certificate for life.” Mistake. The certificate of a qualified person (electrical technician, lead electrical technician) is valid for 3 years. A certified electrical inspector for 5 years. After expiry, they must retake the examination.

“An instructed person can do everything, they just don’t do inspections.” They cannot. An instructed person must not independently work on live equipment, and on high voltage, they may only work under the supervision of a qualified person. They can independently handle only operation and de-energized work on small and low voltage.

“If someone takes an online course, they become an instructed person.” Instruction is carried out by a qualified person – an online course ending with a test is not enough. Knowledge verification and first aid training must occur, ideally with practical re-examination directly at the workplace.

“Anyone who understands electricity can do an inspection.” No. An inspection of designated electrical equipment may only be performed by a certified electrical inspector with a valid certificate of the relevant scope. Without it, the report is worthless.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to send all employees for examinations according to GR 194/2022? No. It depends on what each person does. Laypeople who only turn on a computer and a kettle need only basic training. Workers who connect machines, replace sockets, or work in a switchboard already fall at least into the instructed category – and some must be qualified.

What should I do if electricians with old certificates according to Decree 50 work for us? Certificates issued before 1 July 2022 are valid until the end of the period for which they were issued. However, for many of them, the validity has long since expired. Verify for each person whether their certificate is still valid. If not, they must pass a new examination according to GR 194/2022 Coll.

Is it enough if an electrical technician renews their examination once every three years and does not train in between? No. In addition to the examination (every 3 years for qualified persons), the employer must ensure periodic training – typically once a year.

Does an electrical technician’s examination also apply to work on a lightning protection system? No. For LPS inspections, a certified electrical inspector certificate with E3A scope is required. An electrical technician alone must not perform the inspection.

How do I know if a certified electrical inspector has a valid certificate? The certificate is issued by TIČR. It should state the date of validity and the scope. If you are unsure, during an inspection, we can provide proof not only of the validity of our certificate but also that the scope corresponds to your equipment.

Sources for This Article

• Professional competence, categories of persons (instructed/qualified), electrical technician/lead/certified electrical inspector, employer obligations: Government Regulation No. 194/2022 Coll. (§ 3–8)
• Groups of persons, validity of the certified electrical inspector certificate (5 years) and examination certificates (3 years), repetition of instruction, repeal of Decree 50/1978: Act No. 250/2021 Coll. (§ 8, 11, 19, 25)

Are you dealing with who in your company is allowed to work on electrical equipment and to what extent? We provide professional employee training exactly according to current regulations – from instructing persons to electrical technician examinations to inspections of designated equipment. We operate in Brno and nationwide (whole Czech Republic).

• Employee Training – instruction and exam preparation
• Electrical Inspections – inspections of designated electrical equipment
• Non-binding Inquiry

Write to info@sohe.cz or call +420 724 689 762.