Single cores outside enclosure

In that case, the requirement to provide suitable containment (or sheathing) is nonsense in the first place?

Of course it is a necessary requirement  … but why?

It is not always a necessary requirement. Regs may think so, but I beg to differ.  It is perfectly possible to install unsheathed wiring, carrying potentially lethal voltages, in places where they are not going to be touched, or bleached by sunshine  or attacked by squirrels, and it will give many years of perfectly safe service….  in a closed void behind  a downlighter may be a good example. 

Another one is the NE bond one - sometimes perfectly fine and dandy, so long as you have a grip on the currents that will flow in the CPCs but not permitted by UK regs. Just not something to be taken as always OK by the uninformed.

Another would be the requirement to use the same size bonding on all pipes emerging from the ground, when those with an NE bond at next doors TNCS service head are much more likely to carry a large current, than say a short buried pipe to a private oil tank.

1.   If an installation confirms to the regulations it can be regarded as safe.

also sadly not always There may be parts that BS7671 declared out of scope that really do need to be considered in the wider  safety picture in some cases. E.g. those bayonet holders again.

2.   If it does not confirm it might or might not be safe  Only engineering judgement can tell.

But a lot of electricians (perhaps lacking engineering judgement) think that if it does not confirm it is, ipso facto, dangerous

Sadly far too true.

Although this sounds like I am being rather  confrontational, actually I suspect that in practice we would when presented with the same thing in the field agree broadly on what is or is not really dangerous.

And finally, that photo.

Unless it is indoors, it needs fixing smartish,   and even if it is indoors it still needs fixing reasonably smartly !  

If in your organisation the way to ensure that is to declare a C2 then do so, though really it may be the wrong code if it is not be dangerous in the sense of shock or fire, it may be more of a risk in the sense of the kit failing suddenly..

We could argue we do not know if the conductors in the box have been part torn from their terminals when the gland was pulled out, and are about to fail…

Mike.

In that case, the requirement to provide suitable containment (or sheathing) is nonsense in the first place?

Of course it is a necessary requirement  … but why?

It is not always a necessary requirement. Regs may think so, but I beg to differ.  It is perfectly possible to install unsheathed wiring, carrying potentially lethal voltages, in places where they are not going to be touched, or bleached by sunshine  or attacked by squirrels, and it will give many years of perfectly safe service….  in a closed void behind  a downlighter may be a good example. 

Another one is the NE bond one - sometimes perfectly fine and dandy, so long as you have a grip on the currents that will flow in the CPCs but not permitted by UK regs. Just not something to be taken as always OK by the uninformed.

Another would be the requirement to use the same size bonding on all pipes emerging from the ground, when those with an NE bond at next doors TNCS service head are much more likely to carry a large current, than say a short buried pipe to a private oil tank.

1.   If an installation confirms to the regulations it can be regarded as safe.

also sadly not always There may be parts that BS7671 declared out of scope that really do need to be considered in the wider  safety picture in some cases. E.g. those bayonet holders again.

2.   If it does not confirm it might or might not be safe  Only engineering judgement can tell.

But a lot of electricians (perhaps lacking engineering judgement) think that if it does not confirm it is, ipso facto, dangerous

Sadly far too true.

Although this sounds like I am being rather  confrontational, actually I suspect that in practice we would when presented with the same thing in the field agree broadly on what is or is not really dangerous.

And finally, that photo.

Unless it is indoors, it needs fixing smartish,   and even if it is indoors it still needs fixing reasonably smartly !  

If in your organisation the way to ensure that is to declare a C2 then do so, though really it may be the wrong code if it is not be dangerous in the sense of shock or fire, it may be more of a risk in the sense of the kit failing suddenly..

We could argue we do not know if the conductors in the box have been part torn from their terminals when the gland was pulled out, and are about to fail…

Mike.