yesterday i pulled a plug off of a plug strip in my schools design/wood shop, this has been left in, and the others were getting close to this, . the teacher finally decided to toss the strip, so I took it.
lesson..: power strips are not to be used in semi-industrial settings.

Joe:
This looks like what I would call a 'resi' grade duplex receptacle. Was this a part of a 'wiremold'/'plugmold' setup, or was a power strip plugged into this duplex?

IMHO, a spec grade duplex recept may have held up better, but none will withstand severe abuse.

this was inside the plug strip, i pulled them all out and rebuilt the strip

I use a mix of rubber shuko and BS1363 heavy duty rubber mo[u]lded plugs and strips in my shop on vulnerable leads.

http://www.bizflips.com/library/pdf/bg_electrical/permaplug.pdf

25 year guarantee on the Brit ones.

Are molded rubber models available in the US?

I cant say I have ever seeen them in US config. but if anyone could find me some, I think i would be spending alot in the near future, lol

These look like cord end receptacles and they are pretty standard on extension cords here. I have one with a GFCI in it and a couple "triple headers".

Back in the 70's, I worked at a certain testing lab, where we faced a similar problem. The solution was to "super size" the plug strips by making our own, using 4-squares, industrial covers, and spec-grade devices. They worked.

Fast forward to the new millennium, and a certain self-proclaimed code authority hit the lecture circuit, waving pictures around of all manner of abused, damaged, or incompletely assembled such contraptions. He succeeded in mobilizing a variety of inspection authorities to go on a crusade against them, and inspired a series of code changes.

So, we're limited pretty much to the fragile consumer grade models out there.

The same 'authority' has recently crowed that 'recent changes' have essentially banned the use of any field-assembled power centers. I'm not convinced; his 'link' was to the entire Federal Code. I have no idea what he's referring to.

This whole mess shows two of the unexpected consequwnces of regulation (and standards).
The first is the difficulty the consumer will have in separating the sheep from the goats, since they all meet the 'same standard.' In that arena, price alone quickly rules.
The other is the assumption that everything has to come from some 'certified' factory, and that we are no longer considered competent to make things ourselves. Don't laugh; my home-made spider box has inspired countless hours of thought by ninny-state nannies, seeking to find fault with it. Why, it wasn't store-bought, there must be something wrong!

Getting back on-point, I think the 'cord end receptacle' idea is the better answer when abuse is anticipated. One such product is the 'power squid.' I inspired some lively conversation here some years ago, when I posted a picture of a cord cap dangling from the bottom of a panel. I believe that such an arrangement lets such side forces be taken by the flexible cord, rather than the face of the receptacle.

Maybe your "expert" should look at 240.5(B))3)(4)