Toolbox Talk: Extension Cords and GFCIs

Before you start

Bring a cord in good condition and, if you have one, a damaged cord pulled from service. Bring a portable GFCI to test.

Read this to your crew

Extension cords get run over, pinched in doors and dragged through water every day. Damaged cords and missing ground-fault protection are a common cause of shocks on job sites.

Today we will cover how to check a cord, how to use it and why we test our GFCIs.

Key points

Inspect every cord. Look for cuts, exposed wires, crushed spots, missing ground prongs and taped repairs. Take damaged cords out of service.
Use the right cord. Use cords marked for hard or extra-hard usage outdoors and on job sites. Match the gauge to the load.
Protect the cord. Do not run cords through doorways, windows or holes, and keep them out of water and walkways.
Use GFCI protection. Plug tools into a GFCI outlet or portable GFCI, and press the test button before you start. If it does not trip, do not use it.
Cords are temporary. Extension cords are not a substitute for permanent wiring.

Ask the crew

Where on this site do cords get damaged most often?
How do you test a GFCI, and what do you do if it fails?
What would you do if you found a cord with the ground prong cut off?

Picture this

A worker uses a cord with a missing ground prong to run a drill in a wet basement. The drill has a fault, and with no ground and no GFCI, he takes the current. A three-second GFCI test would have caught it.

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Talk leader: ______________ Date: ______________ Site: ______________