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A while back, I started a thread asking if cheater plugs (adapters allowing three-prong electronics to plug into two-prong outlets) are illegal in the USA:

Are cheater plugs illegal in the USA?

From this, it appears that the answer depends on the jurisdiction. When I've tried to find answers online, even information on the legality in general was scarce, let alone in specific jurisdictions. Most articles just discuss whether cheater plugs are safe, not whether they're legal.

To use a specific jurisdiction, then, is it illegal to use cheater plugs in Ohio? If so, in which of the following contexts are they prohibited?

  1. Selling cheater plugs
  2. Using cheater plugs in a commercial business
  3. Using already-owned cheater plugs for personal use in a home

Information from other jurisdictions is acceptable, but Ohio is the specific jurisdiction of this thread's focus.

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  • Also, to make sure that starting a related thread to an old one of mine was the acceptable path, I first asked on the Meta Stack Exchange (meta.stackexchange.com/questions/372563/…) about the acceptable approach and created this in accordance with the advice given there.
    – The Editor
    Commented Dec 10, 2021 at 14:54
  • I am pretty sure that the answer to all three is that they are legal, but that is merely an inference from what I have seen in practice in Ohio and not from a review of authoritative sources.
    – ohwilleke
    Commented Dec 10, 2021 at 17:49
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    @JonCuster, NFPA codes aren't really laws
    – Tiger Guy
    Commented Dec 10, 2021 at 21:15
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    @TigerGuy - NFPA 70E is used by OSHA as the requirements on electrical safety (which is the whole point of 70E). So, yes, it is not the law per se, but OSHA is the law so making 70E is a legal requirement.
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 10, 2021 at 21:18
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    @TheEditor - OSHA applies to workplaces only. The point is, unless you can assure yourself that the cheater plug actually connects to a real ground at your house, you are risking your life or the life of others using the cheater plug. Use a GFCI adapter on the cord. In the workplace, remember that the main job of OSHA is to assess responsibility for a workplace accident (company or worker). Failure of the company to follow OSHA means you are making the company liable for the accident - the real financial penelty will be lawsuits.
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 15, 2021 at 21:00

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Illegal is pretty wide-ranging. I doubt anyone would have any statute they could point to to arrest you for using one. However, if you use one to avoid grounding a device and the building burns down or a user gets electrocuted, a determined prosecutor just might decide to attempt to send you to prison via some type of negligence charge.

Your insurance company might also decide to void your coverage, and if you have a business that has fire marshal inspections, expect to get dinged if they see one. It is also theoretically possible that an OSHA fine could come your way for such usage, but unless someone dies, highly unlikely, thanks @JonCuster.

Clearly the sale of these items isn't restricted, and they are required in some older home wiring in the USA to allow grounding via a center-screw grounding that used to be a thing. They are known as grounding converters. US Homes were built with grounding outlets in the 1960s, homes I am familiar with that didn't have them were pre-war.

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  • You should probably look through 29 CFR 1019.304(b) as well. I don't see scope to accept using a cheater plug there at all.
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Dec 10, 2021 at 21:33
  • @JonCuster Are you saying that it's illegal on all three counts? In other words, are you saying it's illegal to sell cheater plugs, to use cheater plugs in a business, and to use them at home? Just making sure.
    – The Editor
    Commented Dec 12, 2021 at 20:33

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