Are electrical engineers qualified to actually work on and maintain high voltage equipment or just design it?
As an electrician and EE having a degree in engineering does not make you able to work on actual equipment. You are not considered a qualified electrician unless you have that training and licensing. This is not to say an engineer cannot do these things and certainly if they designed it they probably have a good concept of what needs to be done, however they would be an absolute fool to work on high voltage especially without training. You need to get a license to work on electrical equipment. Having an engineering degree can substitute for training in the eyes of the licensing board but just because you can design it does not always mean you can actually work with it. The theory and the practice are a little different in this type of situation.
