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MB ELECTRICS: I FOUND THIS WHILE I HAD MY HAND UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS!
One of the most dangerous and negligent thought processes we see is “if it’s out of sight and no one can touch it, it’s okay”.
We often find this in lofts and under floorboards, where the installer thinks that no one will touch it, so they believe it’s safe. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
The danger of contact with live conductors here is incredibly high; as the inspector has stated, he actually found it by touching it, presumably with the power isolated, or there could have been a very unpleasant outcome.
Protection from access to live parts is the most basic requirement of BS 7671, followed by, amongst other things, not allowing thermal damage to occur to the surrounding area. Using what appears to be a supporting joist as a terminal block has added the risk of fire should an overload, arc, or loose connection develop.
Even if you feel something won’t come into contact or be seen, the correct method of enclosing terminations must always be used.
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