DJK,
No insult intended, but I fail to see how a "universal plug" design will prevent something like C-H has posted.
The problem as I see it, is that someone ripped-off a surface mount device...leaving the exposed ends of the wires just hanging around. If anything, this is a good argument for outlawing surface-mount wiring methods like this, where the device is fastened directly to the wall instead of a box.
By the way, if there is to be a "universal plug standard," I believe there should be two, so it's easier to distinguish 110 volt sockets from 220 volt sockets.