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In-person · Durango, COElectrical safety training in Durango, CO
Durango combines a ski area 25 miles north, a coal-fired steam railroad, a regional hospital and tribal gas production on the Southern Ute Reservation to the south. We train the electrical crews who keep La Plata County's resorts, utilities and gas fields running, at your facility or in an in-person class we set up in Durango when you ask.
Private employers in Colorado are inspected by federal OSHA. Every class is live, on the 2027 edition of NFPA 70E, and taught by a Certified Safety Professional. Colorado electrical safety training requirements →
Among the teams we have trained in the last year
Four ways to train your Durango crew
Crews we train in and around Durango: ski area maintenance, hospitals, oil and gas, electric co-op, rail and tourism, public employers.
What the class covers for Durango crews
Purgatory's lifts and snowmaking pumps all need to be ready by opening day. We cover pre-season energizing, troubleshooting under time pressure and lockout on lift and pump equipment.
Fruitland Coal wells and compressor sites combine gas hazards and remote power. We cover arc flash as an ignition source and safe approach distances to the overhead lines feeding pads.
Mercy Medical Center and Fort Lewis College rely on generators, transfer switches and central plants. We cover monthly generator runs, transfer switch exercising and the steps that can be planned de-energized.
Shops and depots with old wiring and newer equipment side by side create surprises. We cover justifying and documenting work when existing conditions are unknown.
Durango at a glance
Federal OSHA (Englewood Area Office)
La Plata Electric Association
Statewide (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA)
DRO
Mountain
Colorado: what applies to your crews
Enforcement: federal OSHA
La Plata County is in federal OSHA's Englewood Area Office territory. Colorado has no state plan, so City of Durango, La Plata County, Fort Lewis College and school district electricians have no OSHA coverage. Work on tribal land can raise separate jurisdiction questions worth checking with your counsel.
Licensing: statewide
Colorado licenses electricians through the State Electrical Board at DORA, covering residential wiremen, journeymen and masters, with contractor and apprentice registration required as well.
Where NFPA 70E fits
OSHA does not enforce NFPA 70E. Durango employers use it to show how they meet OSHA 1910 Subpart S or 1926 Subpart K, and OSHA can use the General Duty Clause when a recognized electrical hazard goes unaddressed.
Durango's electrical work environment
Public and institutional employers dominate. The City of Durango has about 1,047 employees, Durango School District 9-R about 998 and Mercy Medical Center about 901, according to the city's 2024 financial report. Fort Lewis College had 3,544 students in 2024 and about 683 employees. Purgatory Resort, 25 miles north on US 550, employs about 850 people and runs 12 lifts over 1,650 acres, with snowmaking on about 21 percent of its terrain.
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs 45.2 miles up the Animas to Silverton on 3 foot track. Its steam locomotives still burn coal, though the railroad has said it wants to convert most of them to oil, and its Durango roundhouse was rebuilt in 1990 after a fire. Shops like these mix old equipment, newer controls and building service in ways that keep facility electricians alert.
Gas production defines the south end of the county. Red Willow Production, owned by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, operates about 700 wells on the reservation and holds non-operating interests in about 900 more, mostly coalbed methane from the Fruitland Coal. Durango-La Plata County Airport near Ignacio sits in that same gas country, and compressor stations, pipeline facilities and production pads bring rural service and classified areas into the electrical picture.
A ski area, a steam railroad and San Juan Basin gas
La Plata County's electrical work spans resort, health care, education, rail and gas production. These are the main sites.
| Site | What is there | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Purgatory Resort James Coleman | 1,650 acres and 12 lifts with a 10,822 foot summit, about 850 employees. | Operating |
| Mercy Medical Center Mercy Medical Center | Durango's regional hospital, with about 901 employees. | Operating |
| Fort Lewis College State of Colorado | 3,544 students in 2024 and about 683 employees. | Operating |
| Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad American Heritage Railways | 45.2 mile coal-fired steam line with a Durango roundhouse rebuilt in 1990. | Operating |
| Southern Ute gas operations Red Willow Production | Tribally owned producer operating about 700 wells, mainly Fruitland Coal coalbed methane. | Operating |
| Durango-La Plata County Airport Durango-La Plata County Airport | Commercial airport near Ignacio serving southwest Colorado. | Operating |
| La Plata Electric Association LPEA | Co-op with 4,054 miles of line and 36,997 poles across La Plata and Archuleta counties. | Operating |
La Plata Electric Association and its break from Tri-State
La Plata Electric Association serves La Plata and Archuleta counties and parts of Hinsdale, Mineral and San Juan counties, with about 34,200 members, 4,054 miles of line and 36,997 poles. It was the fifth largest of Tri-State Generation and Transmission's member co-ops, responsible for about 5.7 percent of Tri-State's demand.
On March 22, 2024 the LPEA board voted to give two years' notice to leave Tri-State, which estimated the contract termination payment at $209.7 million. In September 2026 the co-op was holding power supply town halls ahead of a key board decision, so line and substation crews in the county are working through a real change in how the system is supplied.
Who we train in Durango and La Plata County
Lift, snowmaking and base area electricians at Purgatory Resort.
Facilities electricians at Mercy Medical Center.
Production and compressor crews in the San Juan Basin, including on the Southern Ute Reservation.
Line, substation and meter crews at La Plata Electric Association.
Shop and facility staff at the Durango and Silverton railroad.
City, county, college and school district electricians, who are outside OSHA.
Also serving
Questions from Durango employers
Can you train Purgatory crews and town electricians together?
We work gas wells on tribal land. Does your class still fit?
Fort Lewis College is a state school. Is OSHA involved with our campus electricians?
Can you come during the summer railroad season?
Does finishing the class make someone a qualified electrical worker?
What the people in the room say
“Virtual can never replace hands-on, but the engagement from our instructor and the class made it feel more engaging than some in-person courses I've taken.”
“Probably one of the most useful safety courses I've ever attended. Rick genuinely cares about people and their well-being.”
“This is the 2nd arc flash training course I've taken and the class was amazing. I feel like I'm leaving the training safer than before I took this class.”
Train your Durango crew on the 2027 edition.
Onsite within a few days, or private live virtual as soon as tomorrow. Need it fast? Call (813) 725-0999.