One of our clients had this dangerous power point in their garage.
The switch mechanism was knocked with a piece of steel pipe and had fallen out, exposing live parts.
Anyone touching the power point could have received an electric shock.
We have seen power points where the switch mechanism has cracked down the middle and half fallen out. We have seen switches where the switch rocker has been pushed back inside the switch, or popped out completely.
Sometimes it is caused by physical damage, sometimes the parts are just worn out.
Broken switches can be especially dangerous because you are often entering a dark room, feeling around for the switch and not able to see what you are about to touch.
In this case the home’s switchboard had an earth-leakage circuit breaker (safety switch) fitted which should cut the power in less than 30 milliseconds if someone had accidentally touched the contacts inside.
Safety switches are great and have saved many people from injury and death, but just like any electrical or mechanical device, they do have a failure rate.
You should not be relying on a safety switch to protect you from dodgy electrical equipment. If your switch or power point is damaged, you should get it replaced immediately.
While waiting for your electrician to attend you can cut power to the damaged item by pulling out the appropriate fuse or turning off the appropriate circuit breaker.
If you’d like your damaged power point or switch fixed in a hurry call Mance Electrical on 6331 4711. We have staff available every day for small repair jobs like this.
It may be a small job, but ignoring it could have serious consequences.
