Extension cords are often a necessity. However as we know, over time they can become damaged. Insulation can become frayed or cut, the plug may be damaged all of which can lead to a potential electric shock hazard. Here is this week's question:

If you encounter a damaged extension cord at home or on the job, have you ever:

-Used it anyway
-Taped over the damage
-Made other repairs
-Replaced it
-Never encountered a damaged cord

Select all that apply

At work I would immediately throw it away. At home, I have both taped over the damage and cut off the bad portion and put plugs on the new ends; depending on the damage.

Good comment and I'm sure you are in good company. I probably should have divided the question into 2 parts: At home and on the job. I've done the same thing. Thanks!

My response is a carbon copy of Voltrael. The only thing I would add is that at work I cut the cord into many pieces to prevent someone from dumpster-diving and taking it home. That removes any possible liability should they get hurt since all of our cords are clearly identified with ownership.

Ditto

When on the safety inspection team and after reporting the same damaged cord several months in a row, I cut off the plug end and threw it away. I later observed someone holding the cord end as if he were wondering what to do next. I'm sure he eventually figured it out, since the next report had no similar entry.

Hi Jim

Really nothing new to what has already been mentioned. With any damaged cord, home or for work purposes pending on the damage I have often cut the cord and made a smaller cord or multiple smaller cords. If it is a cheap 18 guage extension cord, generally not worth the effort and just throw away, however as mentioned you do not want someone garbage picking and trying to make use of the cord, so best to cut it up into small pieces where it will not be an attraction

MSHA as well other place do not allow repairs - only factory, molded ends

Doing this would be an alteration violating the listing of the cord. If done at work, it might be seen as an OSHA violation.

Are there "listing police" that go around to people's homes to see if they put a plug on the end of their extension cords? I think everyone agrees that you have to throw extension cords away at work, and most people agree that if you can safely repair the cord it is okay at home.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadis ... p_id=27353

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadis ... p_id=22666

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadis ... p_id=27356

If you read through these, it becomes very obvious that OSHA certainly allows for repairs to "extension cords" and so does MSHA for that matter, but then they keep referring to "Accepted" (ie, Listed) components, and so does the NEC.

Let's take for instance one case. A molded cord set (aka "extension cord") is bought. Let's for the sake of argument assume its #12 so the limitation against repairing anything smaller does not apply. The cord itself is almost always type SJO wiring. Making a repair, even changing the ends out though, violates listing because it's a listed ASSEMBLY. If the wire and the ends were Listed individually then no problem. But modifying the original cord is not acceptable.

Let's change it up and give a real world example. Strangely enough the motion picture industry is simply not allowed to use "hard usage" (SJO) cords. They are required by Code to use extra hard usage (SO) cords. There are no premade SO cord assemblies on the market so they have to by Listed cord and Listed NEMA plugs/receptacles for use. The resulting field assembly consists of Listed components and if assembled by a qualified person, it's perfectly legal. And if a repair consists of clipping off the end and reinstalling the plug, it would still be indistinguishable from the original in any way from a new assembly.

The same thing applies to a number of "cords" used by the mining industry labelled SHD-GC, MPF, W, etc. In fact most mines have so much cable that needs to be repaired all the time that it becomes a full time position. They typically use vulcanized splices because it restores the cable back to factory original as much as possible. Otherwise with most cables there are acceptable repair procedures and you can find the procedures and references in the Electrician's Handbook. But again, it's time consuming to do a splice. Ends take about 15-20 minutes. Splices can take close to an hour. If you are repairing a mining cable with a cost of around $20-$50/foot, it's probably worth the materials and labor. But for a common molded SJO extension cord when that is equal to the price, throw it away and start over.

Whether it's mining, motion picture industry, or anyone else, field made flexible cords are common place in certain applications, and the "exception" to repairs is never going away for that reason. So it may seem like OSHA is being purposely vague or saying "yeah you can do that but not really", but that's not the case. If you make your own cords in the work place you can also repair your own cords in the work place, and there's nothing wrong with that at all, and it happens all the time. But for very practical cost reasons with rare exceptions nobody actually does that.