Electrical equipment ground fault circuit interrupters

Wet or damp environments Water can be a good conductor of electricity, hence working with electrical equipment in a wet environment can be a hazardous activity. Electrical equipment should be isolated from moisture. Electrical receptacles in wet or damp environments must be designed for this type of environment, with ground-fault-circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection. This type of receptacle should be tested periodically in accordance with the manufacturer s recommendations. 

Is equipment grounded properly Are electrical cords insulated Is ground fault circuit interruption (GECI) needed ... 

At construction sites, the most common electrical hazard is the ground fardt electrical shock. The OSHA electrical rules require your company to provide either ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) for receptacle outlets or an assured equipment grounding conductor program. Either method can eliminate ground fault electric shock hazards. 

Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), or an assured equipment grounding conductor program, can eliminate the hazards associated with ground fault electric shock. 

All portable electrical tools and equipment must be grounded or of double insulated type. Electrical appliances such as vacuum cleaners, polishers, and vending machines must be grounded. Extension cords being used must have a grounding conductor. Multiple plug adapters are prohibited. Ground-fault circuit interrupters should be installed on each temporary 15- or 20-ampere, 120-volt AC circuit at locations where construction, demolition, modifications, alterations, or excavations are... 

Electrical circuits in the enclosure shall be deactivated, unless equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters. 

What type of test equipment will the consultant use Each professional will usually bring several items to the survey. You should expect the safety professional to bring a tape measure a ground loop circuit tester to test electrical circuits a multimeter (for 220 and/or 440 volts only) a tic tracer (or similar equipment) to check wires or electrical equipment to see if they are energized and a ground fault circuit interrupter tester [2],... 

Is there electrical equipment in or near damp areas, and if so, is it connected to a ground fault circuit interrupter ... 

Electrical equipment in process facilities is often exposed to rain and process fluids. Therefore it is important to use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) in these situations. These are devices that will trip and disconnect a circuit when the leakage current to ground exceeds approximately 5 mUliamps—below any personnel hazard level. The speed of response generally is less than 0.05 seconds for 15—20 amp units. GFCIs should be used for the following applications ... 

When working in damp locations, inspecting electrical cords and equipment carefully to avoid shocks and always making use of the ground-fault circuit interrupter (Figure 6-3)... 

Outlets on the backsplash of a sink must be equipped with a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Rubber mats should be placed in front of sinks that have electrical oudets on the backsplash. 

The first section Installation of Electrical Systems, 1910.302 to. 308, for the most part, covers installation of electrical equipment. Its use is very similar to the National Electrical Code electrical equipment installation. However, there are some sections of the installation requirements that do cover electrical safety. The primary example is providing appropriate working space for equipment likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized. That working space is generally built-in when electrical equipment is installed. The requirements for ground-fault circuit interrupters are another example. 

Electrical outlets shall be three-wire outlets withhigh-quality,low-resistance ground connections. Circuits should be clearly identified to correlate with labels in breaker panels. Some locations would need to be equipped with ground-fault interrupters (GFIs), such as where electrical connections are near sinks. 

Never use electrical tools in or near water without a ground fault interrupter circuit. Never stand in water when using an electrical tool or equipment. 

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