What the program must contain
The assured equipment grounding conductor program, 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)(iii), is the alternative to GFCIs. Its parts:
- a written description of the program, available at the jobsite (not only at the main office, and not filed with the building official or a licensing board)
- one or more competent persons designated by the employer to implement it; not a licensed master electrician, not the inspector, not whoever uses the cords
- a visual inspection of cord sets, caps, plugs, receptacles and cord-and-plug equipment before each day's use
Forgetting the written program and the competent person are both listed common errors.
The two required tests
Paragraph (iii)(D) sets exactly two tests:
- continuity of all equipment grounding conductors
- correct attachment of the equipment grounding conductor to its terminal at each receptacle and at each attachment cap or plug
The trap: the attachment test is a grounding-terminal test, not a hot/neutral polarity test. A reversed-polarity check is not one of the program's required tests.
When to test
Tests are required before first use. A brand-new cord is tested first; there is no exemption for new or factory-tested cords. Untested equipment, or equipment that failed, may not be used.
After that, periodic tests run at intervals not exceeding 3 months. The 6-month interval applies only to cord sets and receptacles that are fixed and not exposed to damage. A cord moved around the site daily is exposed to damage, so one tested January 15 is next due by April 15 (January 15 + 3 months). Choosing July 15 swaps the two intervals, a listed common error.
Recording the tests
Under (iii)(G), tests are recorded by logs, color coding or other effective means, and the record is kept available on the jobsite. Color-coded tape on a cord with the record on site meets both parts. A verbal report is not a record, a log kept only at the home office is not on the jobsite, and a manufacturer's listing label says nothing about the program's own tests.