Was talking with a family member over the holiday who works for a water well company. He related how he frequently uses a corded hammer drill in a flooded well pit with water up to his knees. He also has used a corded sawzall to cut open old water tanks and plumbing where the water flows out all over the tool.

He says that whenever these tools are powered from a GFI protected receptacle the GFI trips. (Gee, what a surprise!)

The clincher is that whenever this happens his boss tells him to plug the extension cord into a regular receptacle. Those GFI's are a PITA.

I just shook my head and asked if his company had a life insurance policy on him with them named as the beneficiary.

-Hal

Sounds typical. I love it when customers call to tell us there is something wrong with the GFCI or breaker we installed because it is tripping. They can't fathom that the problem is their tool or appliance.

Just hope that the grounding pin on the plugs he uses are really grounded. Else the fault
current that is going to the ground would then go thru himself....

I would have taken that relative and given him a nice lesson in electrical current flow and grounding using a piece of paper. It is amazing the small amount of knowledge people have about using these tools safely. The employee probably feels because his boss is older that he is wiser and thinks what he is doing is safe. Sounds like a company that hasn't caught up to the 21st century yet. How can anyone use corded tools if it isn't necessary.
Ron

I hate to say this, but where is OSHA when they are needed,before they become submittal material to the darwinawards site.::frown

Just have to hate those pesky GFCI's, always tripping when a job needs to be done.

edited to add comments.

[This message has been edited by NORCAL (edited 12-27-2004).]

Remember, even with a good ground pin, the current will divide amongst the the grounded conductor, grounding conductor/n-g bond and the person through the water and back to ground rod/n-g bond. The current doesn't care, it wants to get back to the neutral of its source any way it can.

would have taken that relative and given him a nice lesson in electrical current flow and grounding using a piece of paper.

The guy is not stupid, ignorant maybe enough to take his chances rather than cause problems with his job.

This all boils down to the fact that his company provides the tools he uses. They should know how they will need to be used and provide accordingly.

His boss is a cheap SOB who won't spend a nickle more than he has to. What do you want to bet that there are ground pins cut off somewhere, either on the tool or extension cord?

-Hal

Hal, is there any way to anonymously sic OSHA on this boss?

Sure it would get your relative in trouble with the bum, but at least you won't have to risk having to attend his burial.

They would have to catch them in the act otherwise the citations for defective extension cords and other usual stuff around a job site or shop won't mean a thing. Unfortunately the thing that will get the proper attention is a death.

This is also a place where a union could make a difference.

-Hal

It sounds like your friend needs a new job, pronto!

[This message has been edited by SolarPowered (edited 12-27-2004).]

Norcal, this is usualy the way it goes isn't it.

On the other side of the coin, we were fined by OSHA one time for a non GFCI receptacle circuit on a T pole.

The framers were behind and were working on Sunday, (no other trades) the slab was covered in water and their cords were wet which was tripping the GFCI's so they changed out a GFCI receptacle with a standard 20 amp recep.

First thing Monday morning (no one knew anything about what they had done) the job was hit by OSHA, and we were nailed. We contested it, and even with the GC backing our story, the fine was only reduced but not dropped, they said something about we should have checked it when we got there that morning.

Now, these guys like Hal described will blatantly violate safety and never get nailed, life just ain't fair.

Roger



[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 12-27-2004).]

Hal, nobody said the guy was stupid. Sometimes it takes seeing it on paper to make it sink in. Makes a big difference. Love it when someone says a union would have made a difference. Have seen a number of tragic accidents happen to "union" employees and a lot of them have been caused by the ignorance or "stupidity" of the employees involved. One union contractor here insists on following all the safety rules but still comes on the job and finds the employees disregarding them. Besides, I think anyone that stands in knee deep water with a power tool plugged in leans to the side of stupid more than ignorant. I was just out of my apprenticeship and my boss wanted me to energise a power tool from the buss I had to drill for mounting a breaker to have it at the same "potential" so we wouldn't have to shut the service down and interrupt assembly. I told him to tell them to pay us to come in on Sunday or get someone else. We did it on Sunday. If you can't talk to your boss regarding safety issues he is not worth working for.
Ron

I don't think he would understand it if I showed it to him on paper, although he does wire and service well pumps and controls. Maybe a little knowledge is dangerous. I asked him why what he was doing is any different than using a blow dryer in the shower. That's the only time he said maybe they should be doing this another way.

I pointed out that there are pneumatic tools out there (apparently he is drilling something like 1-1/2 inch holes). Said his boss would never go for hauling a compressor around least of all buying one.

As far as unions are concerned I'm very much straddling the fence myself as to pros and cons. I only said that because if it were a union shop he could possibly have someplace else to complain and without it costing him his job.

-Hal