quote:

---

The supply of readily available electrical outlets is inadequate in some buildings, especially older ones. To meet power supply needs, extension cords or surge protected power strips are often interconnected, or “daisy chained,” to readily provide more outlets and/or to reach greater distances. Another common solution is to create a “mixed daisy chain,” interconnecting extension cords and power strips. However, interconnecting these devices is a violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and the National Electrical Code because doing so can cause them to become overloaded, leading to their failure and a possible fire. (See the Office of Compliance “Extension Cords” Fast Facts for more information).

---

said by TheMG :

I must confess that I am guilty of plugging a power strip into another power strip.

I do take precautions to stay on the safe side though:

-purchase only good quality strips rated 15A or more, with 16 AWG wire or better, and with outlets that grip firmly

-strips should have their own circuit breaker built-in, especially if you're using 15A strips and your building has 20A circuits!

-calculate the maximum load all the devices you intend to connect to it will draw in the worst case scenario, an ensure this does not exceed 15A or the rating of the lowest rated strip

One note about the wire gauge, I open up the strips and check them visually. After seeing many cords and strips where the actual wire gauge was much smaller than the rating I am very cautious about it and always check any new strips I buy no matter what the intended usage is.

Stick to that and connected one strip to another is pretty safe, however it remains and always will be a violation of some rule.

quote:

---

A single-story home approximately 40
years old was the scene of another fire
started by the improper use of an electrical
component. This fire began in a bedroom,
where an extension cord and a radio
power cord were fastened to the wall
with nails. The fire investigators concluded
that the nails had come in contact
with both conductors of the cords so as to
form conductive paths that caused over-
heating at the contact points between the
nails and the wires. A shirt that had been
hung on the two nails ignited and dropped
to the floor in flames, igniting the mattress
and bedding.

---