Electrical Safety Around Water, Cords & Portable Equipment

We use a lot of plug-in equipment around water. A broken cord, a wet plug, or the wrong extension cord can shock you, burn you, or start a fire. Just because a cord still works doesn’t mean it’s safe.

What You Need to Do

Check your equipment before every shift. Look over cords, plugs, and the machine for cuts, bare wires, burn marks, or anything that feels hot.

If it’s broken, stop using it. Unplug it, put an “Out of Service – Do Not Use” tag on it, and tell your supervisor. Don’t tape up a damaged cord.

Keep plugs dry. Keep plugs and power strips away from water. Never plug in or unplug anything with wet hands.

Use a GFCI outlet. That’s the outlet with the “Test” and “Reset” buttons. It shuts off power fast if something goes wrong. On construction sites, only use the power the site has approved.

Use the right cord. Use heavy-duty extension cords with three prongs. Never break off the round third prong or use an adapter to get around it.

Unplug the right way. Turn the machine off first, then pull the plug out by the plug itself. Never yank on the cord or drag the machine by it.

Stop Right Away If…

Water gets on a plug, the outlet keeps shutting off, a cord gets hot, or the machine sparks, smokes, shocks you, or smells like it’s burning. Keep people away and call your supervisor. Don’t keep hitting reset.

Reminders for Each Team:

Days (Construction Cleaning): Only plug into outlets the site says you can use. Don’t touch electrical panels, wiring, or other crews’ equipment. Tell your supervisor about bare wires or water near electrical equipment.

Nights (Floor Care & Pressure Washing): Check the whole cord before you fill the machine. Keep water flowing away from outlets, don’t let the dirty-water tank overflow, and never spray near outlets or anything that’s plugged in.

Reference: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.334