OSHA GFCI requirements sit in two places in the Code of Federal Regulations: 29 CFR 1926.404 for construction and 29 CFR 1910.304 for general industry. Construction is the broader rule. Every 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle on a construction site that is not part of the permanent wiring and is in use by employees must have ground-fault circuit interrupter protection, unless the employer runs a compliant Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor Program instead. General industry only requires GFCIs in specific locations and situations, described below.
Construction Sites: 29 CFR 1926.404
The construction standard applies site-wide. There is no list of qualifying locations. If a receptacle is temporary, employees use it, and it is a 120-volt, single-phase, 15- or 20-ampere outlet, it needs GFCI protection.1eCFR. 29 CFR Part 1926 Subpart K – Electrical
OSHA has clarified in a formal interpretation that the ground-fault protection requirement in 1926.404(b)(1)(i) is not limited to 120-volt circuits. Employers must also protect 240-volt circuits, and a 120-volt GFCI will not protect a 240-volt circuit on the same panel. A properly rated device is needed for each voltage.2Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Ground Fault Protection Requirements for 120-Volt and/or 240-Volt Circuits
Equipment hard-wired directly into a panel box, such as some welders, does not require GFCI protection, because there is no receptacle outlet in the circuit.2Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Ground Fault Protection Requirements for 120-Volt and/or 240-Volt Circuits
The Portable Generator Exception
Small portable or vehicle-mounted generators rated at 5 kilowatts or less are exempt from the GFCI requirement, but only if the generator’s circuit conductors are insulated from the frame and all other grounded surfaces. When those conditions are met, the receptacles on the generator itself do not need GFCI protection.3Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1926.404 – Wiring Design and Protection
Larger generators, generators whose conductors are not insulated from the frame, and any generator feeding receptacles away from the unit still fall under the standard rules. If you are not sure whether a generator qualifies, treat it as though it does not.
General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.304
For permanent wiring in general industry workplaces, GFCI protection is required on all 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in bathrooms or on rooftops. Those are the only two locations the general industry standard names.4Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1910.304 – Wiring Design and Protection
The rule widens for temporary wiring during what OSHA calls “construction-like activities” — maintenance, remodeling, and repair work that exposes employees to construction-type hazards. During those activities, GFCI protection is required for all 125-volt, single-phase, 15-, 20-, and 30-ampere receptacles that are not part of the building’s permanent wiring and are in use by employees. The addition of 30-ampere receptacles goes beyond the permanent-wiring rule.5eCFR. 29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart S – Electrical
The AEGCP: An Alternative for Construction
Construction employers can meet the requirement a different way. Under 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)(iii), an Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor Program substitutes rigorous inspection and testing for GFCI devices. It covers all cord sets, all receptacles that are not part of the permanent wiring, and all cord-and-plug-connected equipment available for use on the site.3Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1926.404 – Wiring Design and Protection
The program has to be in writing. That written description, including the specific inspection and testing procedures, must be kept at the jobsite and made available to OSHA inspectors and any affected employee on request.6Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Electrical – Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor Program (AEGCP)
The employer must designate one or more competent persons to implement it. Under OSHA’s construction definitions, a competent person is someone capable of identifying existing and foreseeable hazards and authorized to take immediate corrective action.7Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1926.32 – Definitions
Daily Visual Inspections
Every cord set, plug, receptacle, and cord-and-plug-connected piece of equipment must be visually inspected before each day’s use. Inspectors look for deformed or missing ground pins, damaged insulation, and signs of internal damage. Equipment that fails inspection has to come out of service and stay out until it is repaired.6Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Electrical – Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor Program (AEGCP)
Continuity and Terminal Tests
Two electrical tests are required on all covered equipment:
- A continuity test confirming an unbroken equipment grounding conductor path from the tool back to the grounding point.
- A terminal connection test confirming the grounding conductor is attached to the correct terminal at each receptacle and plug.
Those tests have to be run at four points: before equipment is used the first time, before it returns to service after a repair, before it is used after any incident that could have caused damage, and at intervals no longer than three months. Cord sets and receptacles that are fixed in place and not exposed to damage can go six months between tests.3Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1926.404 – Wiring Design and Protection
Records
Test results have to be recorded, and each record must identify the specific piece of equipment and the date or interval of testing. Written logs, color-coded tags, or any other effective method will work. Records are kept until replaced by a more current one and must be available at the jobsite for OSHA and affected employees.3Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1926.404 – Wiring Design and Protection
Testing GFCI Devices in the Field
The construction electrical standard does not spell out a GFCI testing schedule, but OSHA’s general requirement for frequent and regular inspection of equipment applies. Manufacturer instructions typically call for monthly testing of permanently installed GFCIs using the built-in test and reset buttons. Portable GFCIs used on construction sites take more abuse and are commonly tested before each day’s use.
Press test, confirm the device trips and cuts power, then press reset. A GFCI that will not trip, or one with visible damage, has to be removed from service.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
As of January 2025, the maximum penalty for a serious OSHA violation is $16,550 per violation. Willful or repeated violations can reach $165,514 per violation. These amounts are adjusted annually for inflation.8Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA Penalties
Failure-to-abate penalties apply when an employer does not fix a cited hazard by the deadline and can run up to $16,550 per day the violation continues. A site with multiple unprotected outlets can face separate citations for each one.
An unprotected receptacle either has a GFCI or it doesn’t, which makes this an easy citation for an inspector to write. A written AEGCP is the only alternative, and one that exists on paper but lacks current test records will not survive an inspection.6Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Electrical – Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor Program (AEGCP)