OAR 918-282-0200: Indorsement for Manufacturing Plant Electricians

(1) Scope and Authority. The purpose of this rule is to allow manufacturing plant electricians to be employed by a general electrical contractor only when necessary to allow the plant owner or operator to change their method of maintaining their plant and equipment. This rule is adopted under ORS 479.630. (2) For the purposes of this rule a: (a) “General electrical contractor” is an electrical contractor employing a general supervising electrician; (b) “Manufacturing plant” is the owner or operator of a manufacturing or industrial plant; (c) “Manufacturing plant electrician” is a limited supervising electrician, limited journeyman manufacturing plant electrician or limited maintenance electrician whose license is authorized by ORS 479.630 and an apprentice, training for an applicable manufacturing plant electrician license. (3)(a) A licensed manufacturing plant electrician, having specialized training to repair and maintain electrical systems and equipment owned or operated by the manufacturing plant, may be issued an indorsement to the electrician’s license. This indorsement authorizes employment by an identified general electrical contractor and performance of electrical work consistent with the manufacturing plant electrician’s license only at the premises of the identified manufacturing plant if the requirements of subsection (c) of this section are met; (b) An apprentice manufacturing plant electrician at a manufacturing plant may be issued an indorsement authorizing employment by a general electrical contractor for continuance of the apprenticeship training at the premises of the identified manufacturing plant if the requirements of subsection (c) of this section are met; (c) The indorsement in subsections (a) and (b) of this section may be granted if: (A) The manufacturing plant: (i) Chooses to contract all plant maintenance to one or more contractors; (ii) Provides electrical maintenance through a general electrical contractor; and (iii) Agrees to inform the division if it decides to again provide its own electrical maintenance and offer reemployment to the manufacturing plant electricians. (B) The electrical contractor: (i) Hires all of the manufacturing plant electricians who receive indorsements under this rule who want to continue working at the same facility; (ii) Uses those electricians for substantially the same work being done by them for the same manufacturing plant facilities, provided this is within the scope of the license; (iii) Keeps on file with the division, with annual updates, the names and status of all manufacturing plant electricians employed by the contractor and assigned to the account of the plant; (iv) Continues electrical apprenticeship undertakings of the manufacturing plant for all electrical apprentices indorsed under this rule; and (v) Retains or assigns, as needed, a separate supervising electrician, general or limited as required, to the account of the specific manufacturing plant for each plant or cluster of plants within a 20-mile area. (4) This rule does not authorize a general electrical contractor to hire a manufacturing plant electrician who is not issued an indorsement under this rule. (5) No indorsement shall be issued under this rule until after consultation with the board concerning the facts and circumstances of the proposed transaction by the manufacturing plant and receipt of an affirmative recommendation. (6)(a) The indorsement terminates automatically, if: (A) The underlying license is revoked, expires or is not timely renewed; (B) The employment between the electrician and the contractor is terminated; or (C) The agreement between the manufacturing plant and contractor is terminated. (b) The indorsement does not terminate if the manufacturing plant hires electrical contractors in addition to the contractor covered under the indorsement. (7) If a new electrical contractor is hired by the manufacturing plant to replace the electrical contractor covered by the indorsement, the manufacturing plant electricians are required to seek a new indorsement. (8)(a) Notwithstanding any requirements to the contrary, any manufacturing plant apprentice who receives an indorsement and is transferred to a general electrical contractor under this rule is entitled to become a manufacturing plant electrician upon successful completion of apprenticeship training and passing relevant examinations; (b) When the apprentice working under an indorsement becomes a manufacturing plant electrician, the prior indorsement continues; and (c) The indorsement is continued for any other manufacturing plant electrician whose license is upgraded within the manufacturing plant electrician category.