Electrical safety is often taken for granted. During the course of the workday damaged cords may be placed in use without thinking about it. It is extremely important to verify that all electrical equipment is in good condition before being placed into use. Approximately, 17% of all construction fatalities are caused by electrical shock, therefore the health and safety of all employees on site can be affected by the use of faulty electrical equipment. Safe electrical work practices will help guarantee the health and safety of all employees.
The following can be used as a basis for establishing safe electrical work practices. When rolling out cords at the beginning of the day, always visually inspect the extension cord or electrical tool for damage. Some things to check are: missing ground pins, insulation fraying and strain relief pulling out of plug ends. When a cord is damaged, do not use it, have the cord repaired or replaced. If any copper wire is showing, the cord CANNOT be repaired and must be removed from service immediately. If just the outer insulation is cut, the cord can only be repaired with electrical tape. As a rule of thumb any cords with more than 3 repairs per 25ft should be removed from service. Only heavy duty multiple outlets are allowed to be used. The multi outlets that should be used are solid molded rubber style only. Computer strips and homemade electrician boxes are NOT to be used.
Additionally, to ensure that all extension cords and electrical tools are protected and in good condition it is important that they are plugged into a GFCI protected outlet and/or updated with the Assured Grounding Program.
What is a GFCI? A GFCI is a fast-acting circuit breaker which senses small imbalances in a circuit caused by leakage to ground and, in a fraction of a second, shuts off the electrical supply. The GFCI continually matches the amount of current being supplied to an electrical device with the amount of current returning from the device. When the amount supplied differs from the returning amount by approximately 5 milliamps, the GFCI will disconnect the electrical supply.
Remember to keep in mind that a circuit breaker is not a GFCI; a circuit breaker protects equipment and property - not people.
What is an Assured Grounding Program? The Assured Grounding Program requires testing of all equipment to verify adequate grounding and a visual inspection to guarantee safe equipment is being used. Testing is verified by the use of a Quarterly Color Coding Schedule which is identified as follows; 1st quarter (January-March) – White, 2nd quarter (April-June) – Green, 3rd quarter (July-September) – Red, 4th quarter (October-December) – Orange. The following are two methods of testing to be used when using the Assured Grounding Program.
Method 1: Plug a continuity tester into the female end of the extension cord. The tester will light up. You will then need to look up the color code provided in your continuity tester manual. If the adequate lights are lit the tester is indicating proper grounding. It is important to remember that this method will not give an accurate reading if the electricity is provided by a generator.
Method 2: THIS IS TO BE DONE WHEN THE CORD IS UNPLUGGED! This method should be used if the electrical power is generator provided and to test NON-double insulated tools. Attach the clip end of the tester to the ground prong and insert the probe into the ground hole of the UNPLUGGED cord. A light will indicate that the ground is continuous.
Don’t take electricity for granted - Check all of your cords.
This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com
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