Ground-Fault Protection (GFCIs)
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- A GFCI detects an imbalance of as little as 5 milliamps between the hot and neutral conductors and trips the circuit in about 1/40th of a second — fast enough to prevent electrocution.
- On construction sites, GFCIs are required on all temporary 120-volt, single-phase, 15-, 20-, and 30-amp receptacle outlets.
- Test your GFCI before each use by pressing the 'test' button. The power should cut off immediately. Press 'reset' to restore power.
- Portable (plug-in or cord-mounted) GFCIs are just as effective as panel-mounted breakers and are useful when working at outlets far from the panel.
- GFCIs protect you from ground faults, but they do not protect against contact between hot and neutral conductors. They are one layer of protection, not the only one.
Ask the crew
Have you ever had a GFCI trip while using a tool — what happened, and what did you check before resetting it?
Standards this talk is built on
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
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Sign-in sheet
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