1926.351(c): Ground returns and machine grounding
Key takeaways
- 1926.351(c) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart J).
- OSHA cited it 2 times in the last 3 years, in 2 inspections, with $0 in current penalties.
- Related part: 1926.351(c)(6) (2 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.351(c) ("Ground returns and machine grounding") is one requirement inside 1926.351 Arc welding and cutting, an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart J). It includes 6 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(c) Ground returns and machine grounding. 2 citations
(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.
(2) Pipelines containing gases or flammable liquids, or conduits containing electrical circuits, shall not be used as a ground return. For welding on natural gas pipelines, the technical portions of regulations issued by the Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety, 49 CFR part 192, Minimum Federal Safety Standards for Gas Pipelines, shall apply.
(3) When a structure or pipeline 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 structures as a ground circuit.
(4) When a structure or pipeline is continuously employed as a ground return circuit, all joints shall be bonded, and periodic inspections shall be conducted to ensure that no condition of electrolysis or fire hazard exists by virtue of such use.
(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 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.
(6) All ground connections shall be inspected to ensure that they are mechanically strong and electrically adequate for the required current. Open (c)(6) 2 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.351.
Export the list: 2 inspections cited 1926.351(c) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moWhere and how often it was cited
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1926.351(c).
Related parts of this rule
- 1926.351(c)(6) 2 citations
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.351 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.