Thanks for the explanation guys. I guessed that the exposed lamps around the mirrors along cord-connected devices being left on was probably the reason, but it was just the change from the 1971 to the 2002 version I could not figure out.
Maybe the original version of this rule required switches for all receptacles, and it was later proposed that this was overkill, that only receptacles on or near the counter-top need be switched, so it was amended. Sound reasonable?
But what about the pilot lights? If the idea was to allow somebody out in the corridor to see if recepts had been left energized, why does the earlier version of the code not specify pilots outside? The way it's worded would allow the pilot to be on the switch inside, which surely defeats the purpose?
Or was the original intent that an inside pilot would remind people to switch off before running out, and when it was found this didn't always work the code was changed to require an external warning?
