Why are electrical enclosures in the UK commonly missing covers, posing safety risks in public spaces?
Okay, so here’s a little mini rant for you 😅. So, in the UK, it’s super common to see electrical enclosures for meters and stuff with the covers missing. I mean, I counted like ten of them missing the door in just half an hour while walking around my town. Some of them are literally right on the pathway (a lot of houses in old towns don’t have front gardens), so anyone walking by could easily poke around in there. You’d think stuff like that would have really high safety standards, especially if it’s accessible to the public…
My theory on why this keeps happening is because of those annoying little ‘keys’ you need to open them. People probably lose them, so they end up having to pry the cover open instead. This ends up breaking the latch, and suddenly the door is just flapping in the wind until it eventually breaks off (probably because they’re made of cheap plastic).
Okay, rant over… 😏
These are made of poor quality fiberglass material and are really fragile. If I were you, I’d consider starting a campaign. Maybe offer the druggies and troublemakers £20 each to wash the meters with a bucket of water and a sponge 🤣🤣
I’ve heard that most of Europe uses 220 volt lights and receptacles so they can use lower amperage conductors. I’ve never been there myself, but that’s what I’ve read!
Yeah, and (at least here) it’s 240v to ground/neutral. It can really give you a shock 😅. That’s why these meter enclosures should have covers on them at least, right? But no one seems to care.
Sometimes going for the more affordable option is the way to go.
As long as the equipment is still in good condition, it’s actually safe.
We all wish for a new solution to the age-old problem of the meter box, especially those of us who work with them. However, my original point remains valid.
My meter box is similar (though it’s in the back of my house and only I can access it) and I removed the latch, using a small cabinet magnet to keep it closed.
The lesson here is to always keep your £1 key safe and easily accessible, especially for the kids.
I took the latch off mine and now I use a magnetic cabinet latch to keep it closed 😆
Although not perfect, it seems to be safe enough
Until a child decides to pull a wire out. These were installed before the rcd protection in the property, so if you come into contact with anything here and can’t release, you’ll be stuck there until you’re well-done 😄
https://t.me/+lWwXDK5WjW1lZmJk