Am
I In Danger?
If the power supply to the electrical equipment at your site is
not grounded or the path has been
broken, fault current may travel through a worker's body, causing
electrical burns or death [for additional information see, Flexible
Cords and Power Tools]. Even
when the power system is properly grounded, electrical equipment can
instantly change from safe to hazardous because of extreme
conditions and rough treatment.
How Do I Avoid Hazards?
- Ground all power supply systems, electrical circuits, and electrical
equipment.
- Frequently inspect electrical systems to insure that the path to
ground is continuous.
- Visually inspect all electrical equipment before use. Take any
defective equipment out of service.
- Do not remove ground prongs from cord- and plug-connected equipment
or extension cords.
- Use
double-insulated tools.
- Ground all exposed metal parts of equipment.
- Ground metal parts of the following non-electrical equipment, as
specified by the OSHA standard [29 CFR 1926.404(f)(7)(v)]:
- Frames
and tracks of electrically operated cranes.
- Frames
of non-electrically driven elevator cars to which electric conductors
are attached.
- Hand-operated
metal shifting ropes or cables of electric elevators.
- Metal
partitions, grill work, and similar metal enclosures around equipment
of over 1kV between conductors.
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![Plug with missing ground pin Plug with missing ground pin](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080923063216im_/http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/images/missingpin.jpg)
Removing the ground pin from a plug to fit an ungrounded outlet
not only means your work area is unsafe, but makes the cord unfit for
future work where there is grounding.
![Safety Bulletin Sign Safety Bulletin Sign](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080923063216im_/http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/images/bulletin.gif)
Missing or Discontinuous Path to Ground
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Additional Information:
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