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Testing and approval of hand-held electrical tools

Summary A tool company asked whether all hand-held electrical construction tools, including grounded and double-insulated models, needed laboratory testing. OSHA confirmed that its construction electrical rules required electrical equipment to be approved. It said a qualified testing laboratory had to test those tools under the cited definitions.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1986-12-12
Date issued
December 12, 1986
Status
Active
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 Electrical Safety
Source
View the official document

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About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

December 12, 1986

Mr. Kenneth A. Hahn
Vice President
The Wyco Tool Company
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Hahn:

This is in response to your letter of October 6, 1986, requesting an official clarification of 29 CFR 1926.302. Your letter addressed to the Directorate of Technical Support was forwarded to this office for response.

29 CFR 1926.302(a) requires that all electrical conductors and equipment shall be approved. Therefore, we confirm your understanding that all hand-held electrical construction tools, grounded and double insulated, are required to be tested by a qualified testing laboratory as indicated in our 29 CFR 1926.449 definitions applicable to Subpart K - Electrical standards.

Sincerely,
John B. Miles, Jr., Director
Directorate of Field Operations

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