OSHA has cited 29 CFR 1915.56 58 times since 2015, against 49 employers. Penalties on these items add up to $155,530 at their current amounts.
Citations per year
The parts of the rule cited most
1915.56(b)(2) · 20 citations
(2) Only cable free from repair or splices for a minimum distance of ten (10) feet from the cable end to which the electrode holder is connected shall be used, except that cables with standard insulated connectors or with splices whose insulating quality is equal to that of the cable are permitted.
1915.56(e) · 19 citations
(e) Shielding. Whenever practicable, all arc welding and cutting operations shall be shielded by noncombustible or flame-proof screens which will protect employees and other persons working in the vicinity from the direct rays of the arc.
1915.56(b)(4) · 14 citations
(4) Cables in poor repair shall not be used. When a cable other than the cable lead referred to in paragraph (b)(2) of this section becomes worn to the extent of exposing bare conductors, the portion thus exposed shall be protected by means of rubber and friction tapes or other equivalent insulation.
1915.56(b)(1) · 1 citations
(b) Welding cables and connectors. (1) All arc welding and cutting cables shall be of the completely insulated, flexible type, capable of handling the maximum current requirements of the work in progress, taking into account the duty cycle under which the arc welder or cutter is working.
1915.56(c)(1) · 1 citations
(c) Ground returns and machine grounding. (1) A ground return cable shall have a safe current carrying capacity equal to or exceeding the specified maximum output capacity of the arc welding or cutting unit which it services. When a single ground return cable services more than one unit, its safe current carrying capacity shall equal or exceed the total specified maximum output capacities of all the units which it services.
1915.56(c)(3) · 1 citations
(3) When a structure or pipe line is employed as a ground return circuit, it shall be determined that the required electrical contact exists at all joints. The generation of an arc, sparks or heat at any point shall cause rejection of the structure as a ground circuit.
1915.56(c)(5) · 1 citations
(5) The frames of all arc welding and cutting machines shall be grounded either through a third wire in the cable containing the circuit conductor or through a separate wire which is grounded at the source of the current. Grounding circuits, other than by means of the vessel's structure, shall be checked to ensure that the circuit between the ground and the grounded power conductor has resistance low enough to permit sufficient current to flow to cause the fuse or circuit breaker to interrupt the current.
1915.56(d)(4) · 1 citations
(4) Any faulty or defective equipment shall be reported to the supervisor.
Industries cited most
- Manufacturing 49
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 3
- Transportation and Warehousing 2
- Wholesale Trade 1
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 1
- Other Services (except Public Administration) 1
Recently cited employers
- Walashek Industrial & Marine, Inc Camp Pendleton, CA · Jul 31, 2026
- Gunderson Marine, LLC. Portland, OR · May 1, 2026
- Cascade General, Inc. Portland, OR · Apr 24, 2026
- Vigor Marine LLC Portland, OR · Apr 22, 2026
- Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc San Diego, CA · Mar 4, 2026