(a)

1. (1) Upon employing an electrical apprentice to work at the trade, the electrical contractor/master electrician shall, within thirty (30) days, register such apprentice with the Board of Electrical Examiners of the State of Arkansas, the Office of Skills Development of the Department of Commerce, and the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Apprenticeship (OAT).

2. (2)

   1. (A) The apprentice must begin school no later than the first full semester following the date of hire.
   2. (B) In the event that school begins more than ninety (90) days from the hire date, the employer shall, in the interim, provide the apprentice with technically related instruction pursuant to the guidelines of the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Apprenticeship (OAT).

(b) An applicant for registration as an electrical apprentice shall submit the following:

1. (1) An application on a form approved by the Board of Electrical Examiners of the State of Arkansas;
2. (2) A registration fee of ten dollars ($10.00);
3. (3) Satisfactory proof that the applicant is enrolled in and attending a school or training course for electrical apprentices certified by the OAT.

(c)

1. (1) Apprentice registration certificates shall be valid for one (1) year.
2. (2) They shall expire on the last day of the month, one (1) year from the date of issue.

(e)

1. (1) An apprentice who has successfully completed a certified school or training program and has been released for testing may continue to renew his or her apprentice registration card, if otherwise qualified, without enrolling in a school or training program.

2. (2)

   1. (A) Such an apprentice may work as a fourth year apprentice for the purpose of subsection (f) of this section for a period of six (6) months.
   2. (B) If an apprentice has not passed the journeyman electrician examination within six (6) months of completing apprenticeship school, the apprentice shall be subject to the same supervision as a third year apprentice pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.

(f) Ratios and supervision.

1. (1) No journeyman or master electrician shall employ or supervise electrical apprentices at a ratio greater than three (3) apprentices to one (1) journeyman or one (1) master electrician on a single electrical job.
2. (2) An apprentice electrician shall not engage in electrical work unless he or she is supervised by a master electrician or a journeyman electrician.

3. (3) Observation of apprentices' work.

   1. (A) The supervising electrician shall observe the work of an apprentice electrician in person at regular and reasonable intervals.
   2. (B) "Regular and reasonable intervals" shall mean a minimum of the following:

(b) (b) An apprentice employed from the ninety-first day of employment through two (2) years shall have his or her work observed by the supervising master or journeyman every two (2) to three (3) hours and:

1. (1) (1) Before the work is operational;
2. (2) (2) Before it is considered complete; and

3. (3) (3) Before it is covered; or

   1. (ii) For work on all projects other than one-family to four-family dwellings:

(b) (b) For a second-year apprentice, the supervising electrician shall observe the apprentice's work every thirty (30) minutes to one (1) hour and before the electrical work is:

1. (1) (1) Operational;
2. (2) (2) Considered complete; and

3. (3) (3) Covered;

   1. (c) (c) For a third year apprentice, the supervising electrician shall observe the apprentice's work every two (2) to three (3) hours and before the work is:
4. (1) (1) Operational;
5. (2) (2) Considered complete; and

6. (3) (3) Covered; and

   1. (d) (d) For a fourth-year apprentice, the supervising electrician shall observe the apprentice's work before the work is:
7. (1) (1) Operational;
8. (2) (2) Considered complete; and
9. (3) (3) Covered.

10. (4) Proximity to apprentices.

    1. (A) The supervising electrician shall remain within reasonable proximity to an apprentice electrician while electrical work is being performed.

    2. (B) The proximity of the supervising electrician to the apprentice electrician is reasonable if:

       1. (i) The supervising electrician is:

(b) (b) At the same street address at which the apprentice electrician is working; or

1. (ii) The job site:

(b) (b) Requires a contractor's license; and

1. (c) (c) The supervising electrician is within the line of sight of the apprentice electrician.

2. (5)

   1. (A) The responsible master electrician is responsible for all the electrical work performed by an apprentice.
   2. (B) This means that it is the supervising electrician's initial responsibility and ultimately the responsible master's obligation to ensure that all electrical work performed by the apprentice is performed in compliance with the standards adopted by this part.

(h)

1. (1) A certificate of registration may be revoked by the Board of Electrical Examiners of the State of Arkansas for cause.

2. (2) This includes, but is not limited to the following:

   1. (A) Expulsion from or dropping from the training program approved by the OAT;
   2. (B) Performing electrical work which is not performed under the supervision of a licensed master or journeyman electrician; or

   3. (C) Performing electrical work outside the employment of the apprentice's mentoring or sponsoring electrician or electrical contractor.

      1. (i)

3. (1) A licensed electrician shall verify the work hours of any apprentice who has been in his or her employ the previous four (4) years at the request of:

   1. (A) The Department of Labor and Licensing;
   2. (B) The Arkansas Office of Skills Development of the Department of Commerce;
   3. (C) The Office of Apprenticeship; and
   4. (D) Any local apprenticeship committee.
4. (2) Failure to comply with such a request may result in the assessment of civil money penalties and the revocation or suspension of a license.