Power Tool/Extension Cord Repair?

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JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
Is there any OSHA approved way to do this? Not that that Im worried about them showing up at our sites, but I seem to recall that repaired cords couldnt be used on jobsites - anyone have any regs for or against that supposition?
 

mpoulton

Senior Member
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
OSHA's own guidance says it is permissible to repair cords, as long as the repair is done right:

"Answer: Extension cords used in construction may be repaired, so long as the repair returns the cord to the 'approved' state required by §1926.403(a).

This section states, 'All electrical conductors and equipment shall be approved.'

The repair of cords and cord sets is permitted under 1926.404(b)(1)(iii)(C):

Each cord set, attachment cap, plug and receptacle of cord sets, and any equipment connected by cord and plug, except cord sets and receptacles which are fixed and not exposed to damage, shall be visually inspected before each day's use for external defects, such as deformed or missing pins or insulation damage, and for indications for possible internal damage. Equipment found damaged or defective shall not be used until repaired. (Emphasis added.)"

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=27353

When I was managing commercial jobsites for a very large GC our policy was only to allow repairs that looked darn near factory original. If the cord looked beat up in general, it was retired. If the replacement cord cap was anything short of industrial grade, it was retired. Basically repairs were only allowed if the cord had been damaged by a single accident in one spot but not if it was worn through from heavy use. The policy worked like this: I kept replacement cord caps in the job trailer and would even replace them for subs for free if they brought the damaged cord in. But if we saw a damaged or substandard cord on the site, it got removed and destroyed immediately. Our division never had an OSHA compliance issue involving cords with this policy in place, AFAIK.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
And given the state of the rest of the rubber sheath that cord was never a candidate for repair.
Probably should have been replaced even before it was damaged.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I kept replacement cord caps in the job trailer and would even replace them for subs for free if they brought the damaged cord in.

How do you mold on a new plug?

IMO, and I know the opinions of some others that a standard cord cap or cord connector does not return a cord to original condition that had molded on one from a factory.

so long as the repair returns the cord to the "approved" state required by §1926.403(a).

The two companies I have worked for since 1997 would simply dispose of the cord. The cost of a fine and the resulting record of it that remains are not worth the risk.

This also means most of the employees have very nice 100' 12 AWG cords at home with replacement ends. :cool:
 

user 100

Senior Member
Location
texas
Given the quality of most factory-molded cords, I think a properly installed Leviton cap would be much better than factory.

(I do see your point, though.)

It boils down to the quality of the cord- one of the cheap oranges just isn't going to last very long in a lot of environments- it's destined to get stepped on and crushed ,stretched when some guy gets it wrapped around his boot, gets dragged accross the inhospitable terrain of a rough floor on remodesl and having anything that can nick it do just that etc. Yes, we should be more careful, but we aren't:p- it gets bad enough it gets ditched.
 
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JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
Thank you all for the replies, especially to mpoultan. Extension cords generally arent worth fixing unless they are 10ga or 100'; the labor and a heavy duty male plug costs more than a new 50' 12 ga cord. But a $500 chopsaw or $400 rotohammer is a different animal.

re: molded factory cords vs replacements, I usually wrap the ends with electrical tape to beef them up, regardless of if they are damaged.

The last line of that link is this:

"To satisfy the requirements of the OSHA standards, a repair would have to restore the tool to its "approved" condition in accordance with §1926.403(a). Tools ... are approved as complete factory-produced entities. The approval is for the tool as a whole - its design, capacity, materials and construction. This provision precludes the use of an approved tool if its characteristics are materially altered."

I take this to mean, as far as the cord goes, that a replacement would need to have the same # of pins of the same configuration, be wired the same polarity, use the same gauge wire, be of the same type, the same length, and attached the same way internally as the original. That's as close to a factory original as it gets short of buying a factory replacement cord, if even available.

jraef: yeah, that cord has seen better days. and that kind of thing is one reason I started this topic. A bad field repair like that is inviting an injury.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Thank you all for the replies, especially to mpoultan. Extension cords generally arent worth fixing unless they are 10ga or 100'; the labor and a heavy duty male plug costs more than a new 50' 12 ga cord. But a $500 chopsaw or $400 rotohammer is a different animal.

re: molded factory cords vs replacements, I usually wrap the ends with electrical tape to beef them up, regardless of if they are damaged.

The last line of that link is this:

"To satisfy the requirements of the OSHA standards, a repair would have to restore the tool to its "approved" condition in accordance with §1926.403(a). Tools ... are approved as complete factory-produced entities. The approval is for the tool as a whole - its design, capacity, materials and construction. This provision precludes the use of an approved tool if its characteristics are materially altered."

I take this to mean, as far as the cord goes, that a replacement would need to have the same # of pins of the same configuration, be wired the same polarity, use the same gauge wire, be of the same type, the same length, and attached the same way internally as the original. That's as close to a factory original as it gets short of buying a factory replacement cord, if even available.

jraef: yeah, that cord has seen better days. and that kind of thing is one reason I started this topic. A bad field repair like that is inviting an injury.

Not to mention a law suit. :eek:hmy:
 
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