Exposed electrical panels

Photo: Thinkstock.com

In the electrical industry, residential electricity is commonly known as a low voltage system. High voltage systems are ones installed in institutional buildings, manufacturing plants, and industrial plants. Still, there is plenty of potential power in low voltage residential systems, enough to seriously injure, or even kill, unsuspecting people.

Most of us do not take much notice of our electrical systems. Professional home inspectors, on the other hand, routinely remove electrical panel covers to observe and report on the conditions found inside of the panel. Interestingly, opening electrical panels is a requirement for most home inspectors, despite that we are not authorized to do so, according to the qualifications set out by the BC Safety Authority.

At the residential level, the common running jest amongst professionally trained and licensed electricians is that all homeowners are ‘electricians’. Home inspectors see a ton of electrical system modifications, many of them dangerous, and some of them incomplete. The ‘I can do it’ approach often leads to dangerous situations.

Electricity is invisible, silent, and dangerous, although the potential danger is not obvious to most people. In most cases, the residential electrical equipment or panels look just like any part of the building. There are no flashing lights or sparks, and often there is no sound. When electrical panel covers are removed and electrical component exposed, they look deceptively harmless, despite the danger.

Most electrical panels or equipment are not marked to warn people of potential danger. Open panels can do harm even without physically touching the actual equipment, components, or wires. Electricity can travel through air (arc) and seriously hurt us.

During an inspection of multi-family rental housing, open electrical panels were observed in common areas. The potential for a serious event is real. I suspect that the landlord would have a difficult time in front of a judge defending an open live panel. 

If you are a visitor or tenant, and you see open electric panels, you should warn other occupants of the danger, and let the property owner know immediately. Don’t attempt to put the panel cover back on yourself, especially if you have no knowledge of why the panel cover was removed in the first place.

Do not place objects near, on, or inside the equipment. You could create a fire hazard by doing so, and worse, you could be seriously injured.

Bottom line: Be aware of the invisible dangers of electricity!

Photo: Hugh Cairns

When electrical panel covers are removed, leaving electrical components exposed, they look deceptively harmless.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.