Unearthed buried armour. C2 or C3

Immediately dangerous would be a C1.

Effectively you have an exposed-conductive-part that's not earthed - so lacks ADS - to me that's a classic C2.

   - Andy.

Thanks Andy

The only proviso is that there is some sort of earth connection by it reaches the load - if the TT earth is not getting to the end of the cable then that is a bit more serious. Then a clear C2 - lack of earth is not immediate danger like a live part exposed and in reach,  just removal of ADS - so a single fault may not clear.

As a side thought how would we feel if a non-armoured cable had been buried, because in effect it has, or at least a large part of the benefit from armour is lost - there are probably situations where that is OK, but it does not feel good.

Mike.

This cable loops to various points down the garden, it finished in a shed where it was connected to a socket where the live and earth were reversed. Probably a good job the armour wasn't connected.  I think

Gary

I am not sure that it is an exposed conductive part because it is buried, which is a contradiction in terms.

I am concerned that if the armour has been stripped back in places, the outer sheath has also been removed. AFAIK, the inner sheath is not intended to be exposed to the elements. So it is not like, for example, a pond pump which is supplied with a long flex, which is intended to be submerged or buried, or a combination of the two.

I think "improvement required' rather than "improvement recommended" so a C2 from me.

Where the armour has been cut back, is it exposed - either directly or after opening an enclosure? Because a nail could make the armour live with no ADS, then a child (first case) or sparky (second case) could touch the live armour. I'd definitely give that a C2.

Ah . An L-E reversal may be a C1 - immediate danger !!

M.

I didn't leave it like that

Yes the armour is exposed, it has just been cut back roughly about a foot out of the ground.  I left it as a C2 anyway.  It was a pretty rough job.