John:
Calling this type of hazard to the owner, or person managing a business is in their best interest.
That's one of our duties as an AHJ. Leaving a "Red Tag" will often do the job, and a follow up by the Fire Inspector, or even a call to the insurance company, will surely get some action.
I have many of these types of pictures, and most of them are in this condition, or the receptacles are damaged.
The NEC does mention "Proper Maintenance" and in some areas existing situations that may need some revision, and if the rules of Article 80 were to be enforced, I believe there is a section that could be used.
When I was called to a site or business like a furniture store, where they often overloaded the circuits using Edision base glass green fuses, I was the AHJ that made them fix it immediately, or we would to shut them down.
The only problem is after the glass fuses were replaced with the Type S adapters, and properly sized fuses, the same thing happens again.
I discovered that they were cutting the steel piece of thin wire that is supposed to make removal difficult (unless you have the tool that looks like a very small can opener) to remove the adapter.
I still have that tool, and sometimes I used a short piece of a broom stick with a pointy end to remove the adapter, and this was when I found the wire cut.
Just another name in my black book as to who to watch!
I learned this from "mean Jimmy Meehan, Chief Electrical Inspector" when I was the Assistant Electrical Inspector in New Haven Connecticut back in 1966!
The electrical contractors used to sweat when he asked questions about their job before issuing a them a permit. I have fond memories of those days when I was a young fledgling inspector, and boy I thought I knew it all -- but learned as the years passed, that there will be a time when I too would be a senior, and that is what will happen to all of the younger Code Scholars that frequent this, and other places to enjoy this type of discussion, conversation, joking, arguing, and agreeing to disagree!
[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 08-06-2003).]
