EICR failed on things that passed the previous time

[JohnW2]

I'd imagine that depends on where said meter and cutout are located.

Are you perhaps taking my "go anywhere near" literally?

I thought it would be obviously that I meant that they would not have reason to touch anything in the vicinity of the ends of the meter tails !

Don't forget that even if they did (itself extremely unlikely) touch the ('inner') insulation of the cable, the probability of them coming to any harm (i.e. getting a shock) would be very close to zero, wouldn't it?

 

[plugwash]

Are you perhaps taking my "go anywhere near" literally?

Perhaps a little.

But I also don't think you can assume that everyone in a domestic property is a responsible adult and that some locations are more likely to be accessed by someone who is not a responsible adult than others.

Don't forget that even if they did (itself extremely unlikely) touch the ('inner') insulation of the cable, the probability of them coming to any harm (i.e. getting a shock) would be very close to zero, wouldn't it?

If that is the case why require sheathed cables at all?

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps a little. But I also don't think you can assume that everyone in a domestic property is a responsible adult and that some locations are more likely to be accessed by someone who is not a responsible adult than others.

Fair enough. I can't disagree with what you say, but opinions will vary as regards how far one goes in addressing that, with (as below) consideration of the magnitude of risk which arises even if someone (maybe not a responsible adult) touches the 'inner' insulation of a cable.

If that is the case why require sheathed cables at all?

That's a very good question. I suppose it's only really relevant to 'singles' (or the terminations of multi-core cables) since in the case of a multicore cable, one has to have to have some sort of 'sheath' (which might as well be made of a non-conductive material) to 'keep the cores together. It's obviously to some extent a 'belt and braces' measure, but the risk without it is so small that I would personally be pretty happy and comfortable if there were no requirement for a sheath (maybe coupoled with slighly more meaty 'insulation'?).