Work Practices - Use of Equipment

Certain safety-related work practices apply to the use of various types of equipment, as follows:

• Portable cord- and plug-connected equipment
• Flexible cord sets, such as extension cords
• Electrical power and lighting circuits
• Test instruments and equipment

Portable equipment must be handled in a manner that will not cause it to be damaged. For example, flexible electrical cords connected to equipment cannot be used for lifting or lowering the equipment they are attached to. Flexible cords cannot be fastened with staples or otherwise hung in a way that could damage the outer jacket or insulation.

Employees should always visually inspect portable cord- and plug-connected equipment and flexible cord sets, such as extension cords, for external defects and for evidence of possible internal damage before using them on any work shift. If there is a defect or evidence of damage that might expose an employee to injury, the employee should remove the defective or damaged item from service. No employee should use it until repairs and tests necessary to render the equipment safe have been made.

When an attachment plug is to be connected to a receptacle, employees should first check the relationship of the plug and receptacle contacts to ensure that they are of proper mating configurations.

To learn more about Construction Electrical Safety visit our Construction Electrical Safety Online Training web page.