GFCIs or an AEGCP
Under 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1), a construction employer protects workers from ground faults with either GFCIs or an assured equipment grounding conductor program (AEGCP). Both are not required. This unit covers the AEGCP's inspection and test schedule, and the exam traps are all about mixing the intervals.
Daily visual inspection, 1926.404(b)(1)(iii)(C)
Each cord set, attachment cap, plug and receptacle of cord sets, and all cord-and-plug equipment is visually inspected before each day's use for external defects and signs of internal damage.
- Weekly and monthly visual inspections are listed candidate errors.
- The 3-month figure belongs to the periodic tests, not the visual inspection.
- Fixed cord sets and receptacles not exposed to damage are exempt from the daily visual inspection.
Tests, 1926.404(b)(1)(iii)(E)
The equipment is tested on four occasions:
- Before first use.
- Before it returns to service after any repair.
- After any incident that could reasonably have caused damage.
- At intervals not exceeding 3 months, or 6 months for fixed cord sets and receptacles not exposed to damage.
There is no end-of-week test. A weekly test is not one of the required occasions.
Sorting the two groups
Ask one question: is the item exposed to damage?
- Exposed to damage: daily visual inspection before each day's use, plus tests at intervals not exceeding 3 months.
- Fixed and not exposed to damage: no daily visual inspection, tests at intervals not exceeding 6 months.
The traps for a fixed receptacle not exposed to damage: a daily inspection with 3-month tests is the rule for exposed equipment; a daily inspection with 6-month tests wrongly keeps the daily check; and exempting it from testing too ignores the 6-month test requirement. The exemption covers only the visual inspection, never the testing.