Safety Knights

It needs to have strain relief, but overall, it's acceptable. Conduit is to protect it from the elements and/or when it's subject to physical damage.

Could it be used here? Sure, it would make it look more professional. However, it's not required in most indoor applications for power/extension cords - usually just individual wires with the thinner insulation and/or in areas with moving parts/equipment/etc.

Agree with Drew, but would take it a step further. In most cases running extension cord through conduit would be in violation of the NEC.

That's only to be used for 90 days correct? in some cases when you can't hard wire or find a more permanent solution (sometimes due to the owner pushing back or any other non- sense reason), can you like unplug it for a few days and then plug it back in? I thought I would ask since we're in the subject. Also, I think the temporary use of extension cords are for specific purposes only.

I was taught that flexible wiring was "temporary" with temporary being defined as less than 90 days.

Although for years I have searched for a "out-right" ban on them, I cannot find it. Something in black or white! On the hole I agree with Tim and Drew.

For years and years we had a running battle within my corporation on "Drop-Cords". We had a former electrical contractor and electrician turned Corporate EHS Specialist insisting that all drop cords should be replaced with hard wiring in conduit in his visits. Every time he came to our plant he would note it as a remediation item in his report. Like most manufacturing facilities in our corporation we were really into Lean. As such we were always moving machines and work cells around. Facilities Management and Maintenance always argued that the drop cords were practical and necessary. I was in the middle but was prepared to point out 110.305(g)(ii)(G) if asked. (Although sometimes our machines were in place a couple years).

During an OSHA CSHO visit on another quick manner I saw the guy looking at all our drop cords. They were all over the place. I was shocked he never brought it up in the closing meeting. AS he was leaving through the front door I asked him about not mentioning all our drop cords. He said in a very low voice, "Man I have fought over this one for years! You have strain-reliefs on all of them that I saw. You even had strain reliefs on the bottoms if they curved into a machine. Frankly, I have bigger fish to fry! If I would have seen an extension cord plugged into one we would be talking about it, but yours were wired into machines."

I have reasoned over the years that if we meet all of 1910.305(g)we are good! However, if a machines is set in place for an extended length of time it should be hard wired as it is the safest thing to do.