Bending and Cutting Conduit
Table of Contents
Information on this page is drawn from "Installation and Repair: Using Tools" published by OSHA
NOTE: Request for permission pending.
Potential Hazards
- Manual conduit bending (Figure 10) may require exertion of significant forces and awkward postures which may lead to overexertion of the back and shoulders.
Figure 10
Manual conduit bender.
- Bending over to cut conduit may result in overexertion to the back and shoulders.
Possible Solutions
- Use mechanical conduit benders (Figure 11), especially on conduit with a diameter larger than 1 1/2 inches.
Figure 11
Mechanical conduit bender.
- Where conditions are not optimal and power equipment may not be available, prefabricate as much conduit as possible to minimize on-site bending.
- Where manual benders are required, use longer handles thus increasing leverage and minimizes the amount of force required to bend conduit.
- Place conduit in a vice or fixture to maintain stability when cutting. Support conduit on a table or sawhorse.
- Wear gloves when manually bending conduit to reduce contact stress and avoid cuts. Ensure that conduit ends are properly reamed and good handles are maintained on manual conduit benders.
- Where code allows, use lightweight, flexible conduit (Figure 12) which does not require bending.
Figure 12
Flexible conduit.
