# OSHA/portable Eq. repair



## varmit (Apr 19, 2009)

Folks,
The scenario: At the facility where I have been working, they have two of the 120 volt, portable, free standing fans in use that have very worn out cords on them. The cords are OEM with molded on male plugs and speed select switches.

My first thought was: Sure, just replace the cord and run the fan on one speed only. 

I then realized that this would void the UL listing and therefore, make the fan unusable in the workplace. I am inclined to tell the plant folks to throw these away and get new fans. I did check on replacement cords-no luck. For what these fans cost to replace, it is not really worth fixing them anyway.

Does anyone have any OSHA facts, not opinions, on this situation?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Osha i_s_ a fan

you stand behind it and it _s*cks_

you stand in front , it _blows_

you stand beside it, and it does _nothing _for you

~CS~


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

Oh facts??? 

OSHA 1910.334 
(a*) "Portable electric equipment."* This paragraph applies to the use of cord and plug
 connected equipment, including flexible cord sets (extension cords).

 (a)(1) "Handling." Portable equipment shall be handled in a manner, which will not cause
 damage. Flexible electric cords connected to equipment may not be used for
 raising or lowering the equipment. Flexible cords may not be fastened with staples
 or otherwise hung in such a fashion as could damage the outer jacket or
 insulation.

 (a)(2) "Visual inspection."

 (a)(2)(i) Portable cord and plug connected equipment and flexible cord sets (extension
 cords) shall be visually inspected before use on any shift for external defects
 (such as loose parts, deformed and missing pins, or damage to outer jacket or
 insulation) and for evidence of possible internal damage (such as pinched or
 crushed outer jacket). Cord and plug connected equipment and flexible cord sets
 (extension cords) which remain connected once they are put in place and are not
 exposed to damage need not be visually inspected until they are relocated.

 (a)(2)(ii) If there is a defect or evidence of damage that might expose an employee to
 injury, the defective or damaged item shall be removed from service, and no
 employee may use it until repairs and tests necessary to render the equipment
 safe have been made.

 (a)(2)(iii) When an attachment plug is to be connected to a receptacle (including an on a
 cord set), the relationship of the plug and receptacle contacts shall first be
 checked to ensure that they are of proper mating configurations.


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## retiredsparktech (Mar 8, 2011)

I repaired a lot of those years ago. Grainger sold those same replacement cords, with a single or two speed switch.
I see no problem with OSHA, if the cord is replaced with a duplicate.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Worth a read http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24571


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

We are going to have to start shooting insurance people and lawyers. This is ridiculous. A joke.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Take me back to the 20th century, the 21st sucks.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Yet we all felt bad about the recent post about a guy falling out of a scissor lift and dying. If he had been following the 'stupid OSHA rules' he would likely still be with his family.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

BBQ said:


> Yet we all felt bad about the recent post about a guy falling out of a scissor lift and dying. If he had been following the 'stupid OSHA rules' he would likely still be with his family.


Tying off in a lift and changing the cord on a drill motor is two different things dont change the subject.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

BBQ said:


> Yet we all felt bad about the recent post about a guy falling out of a scissor lift and dying. If he had been following the 'stupid OSHA rules' he would likely still be with his family.


Or just excersizing common sense and due caution. People get too careless these days.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

nolabama said:


> Tying off in a lift and changing the cord on a drill motor is two different things dont change the subject.


The idea is the same, keeping people alive to go home at the end of the day.

Shocks on the job are a leading cause of death and not just for electricians.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Shockdoc said:


> Or just excersizing common sense and due caution. People get too careless these days.


But that ain't working is it?


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

BBQ said:


> But that ain't working is it?


I have to agree with you on that one, it seems training has lost that aspect somewhere along and the cabal took over with rules and regulations to cover liability.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

BBQ said:


> The idea is the same, keeping people alive to go home at the end of the day.
> 
> Shocks on the job are a leading cause of death and not just for electricians.


If a licensed electrician can't change a cord he should go home.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I OSHA considers us competent to repair extension cords. I would be surprised if we weren't considered competent to replace damaged cords on non-double-insulated equipment.

-John


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Big John said:


> I OSHA considers us competent to repair extension cords. I would be surprised if we weren't considered competent to replace damaged cords on non-double-insulated equipment.
> 
> -John


Doubly insulated tools we can't touch. (As I think you know)

Other tools, OSHA does not directly prohibit doing repairs on.

However, we send all tools out to authorized repair facilities. This is simply a liability issue. It is much easier to defend yourself if the crap hits the fan if you can show stacks of receipts of proper tool repair.

I work for a large company, we have received OSHA fines, it is pretty much inevitable but we also do very well challenging them as we can show proof of how much we do to prevent issues. GFCI testing logs (yes, we send someone around to test all the GFCIs on the job and log it), proof of training, proper tools and repair etc. 

When you challenge a fine you can either get it removed (unlikely) or substantially reduced in nature and cost. (Very likely if they believe you have been trying to do the right thing) 

It's when you show total disregard of what they are looking for that the large fines do not get reduced.

In the big picture the cost of sending a few tools out for repair pales in comparison to be given a 'Serious Violation' or a 'Willful Violation' often we can get them reduced to 'Other Than Serious Violation'

This is important so that in the future you do not get a 'Repeated Violation' which is really going to hurt the bottom line in more ways than the fine itself.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

nolabama said:


> If a licensed electrician can't change a cord he should go home.


I hear ya and I don't really disagree with that.

But because ...


Many employees look at getting hurt the same as hitting the lottery

There are 1000s of lawyers happy to make that dream come true

There are many standards that can be cited showing electricians are not 'officially' qualified to repair tools.

These large judgments can put a company out of business

It becomes necessary to CYA.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

BBQ said:


> I hear ya and I don't really disagree with that.
> 
> But because ...
> 
> ...


I stand by my first post. It's not safety. It's sue ability. I


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