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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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.
Missing or Discontinuous Path to Ground
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Additional Information:
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