Extension cords: inspect and protect

Leader: review the source and site procedures before presenting. Adapt this briefing to today’s task and the crew’s language and training needs. This is an original educational talk, not OSHA-issued training or certification.

Start the conversation

A temporary cord can be damaged by a doorway, sharp edge, or moving cart. Take a moment to inspect the entire route as well as the cord.

Key talking points

• Use a cord suitable for the task and environment. Construction cords must meet the applicable hard- or extra-hard-usage requirements.
• Check the jacket, plug, strain relief, and connectors. Remove damaged equipment from service and report it; do not improvise a repair to keep working.
• Protect cords from crushing, abrasion, water exposure, and traffic. Plan routing so it does not create a trip hazard.
• Confirm the required ground-fault protection or assured equipment grounding program with the employer. Never defeat a grounding connection or protective device.
• Electrical job example: a cord for a conduit threader crosses the delivery route while another cord supplies work lights. Walk both routes with the crew and identify where equipment movement could damage them or leave people without lighting. Coordinate a protected route before production starts rather than repeatedly moving cords around vehicles.
• Ask each worker to describe how a damaged plug or jacket gets reported. Identify a specific place for out-of-service equipment so it cannot be mistaken for a spare. Assign responsibility for obtaining a replacement; otherwise a rejected cord may return to work when someone cannot find another one.
• At a change of location, review the setup again. The same tool may now be near water, sharp sheet metal, or a crowded passage. Have the supervisor confirm that the supply and protection remain appropriate. End the discussion by tracing one cord from its source to the equipment it serves.

Ask the crew

1. Where could a cord be damaged today?
2. How do we identify and remove defective equipment?

Before work starts

Walk one temporary-power route and correct or report any exposed cord hazard before use.