HIDDEN DANGERS
The live tail (heavy duty red cable) from the meter to this 1960s fusebox shows signs of overheating and burning out.
We caught it just before it started an electrical fire.
Another live tail (heavy duty red cable) we caught just before it started an electrical fire.
This white fuseholder body shows signs of heavy overloading, arcing and burning.
The ballast inside this fluorescent light fitting burned out and was caught before it caused a fire,
although it filled the office it was in with thick smoke.
This ceiling rose (without cover) was found under the insulation in a loft being used as a junction box.
Not only is it a fire risk, but there is serious risk of electric shock from the exposed live parts.
This terminal block was found under the insulation in a loft.
All electrical connections should be inside an enclosure.
Live central heating wiring floating around in the the loft of a bungalow.
As there was no earth bonding in this property, there was a risk of all the water pipes becoming live and killing somebody.
Terminal blocks wrapped in tape are not acceptable as protection against electrical fire or shock.
This layout is untidy and form the general standard of workmanship, you can expect to find other problems too.
All electrical connections should be inside an enclosure.
This terminal block was wrapped in tape and plastered into the wall in a kitchen.
Another potential source of death when fitting a cup hook or something that requires drilling a hole in the wall.
We found this junction box in a loft with the earths disconnected to prevent the fuse blowing on a live to earth fault.
The fault was in a metal light fitting which meant that the fitting was live when on and a potential source of fatal electric shock.
We found this cable, clipped to the wall with nails when rewiring a kitchen.
On closer examination, the cable was obviously in stress.
This cable was damaged because it was fitted by trailing it the over joists and nailing floorboards down.
The rubber insulated cables above were found under insulation in the loft, still carrying current.
When disturbed, the mostly fell apart, exposing bare & live wires.
More rubber insulated cables, this time bundled together and tied with string under the upstairs floor.
More rubber insulated cables, this time held down with buckle clips (by some rogue - that's not how it should be done).
A (spaghetti) junction box under the floor at the top of the stairs where all the downstairs lighting cables were.
Note the earth connections wrapped together outside the box (non compliant with the Wiring Regulations).
Inside the spaghetti junction. It took some time to sort this out.
This leaking battery was found inside a fire alarm control panel during routine maintenance.
