The building of houses in 1954 did not have electrical systems considered to be lethally dangerous, however they were not as safe as the electrical system of today. Back just post war when mothers house was built there were no showers, cooking was solid fuel, and the highest power item was the immersion heater. The house was fitted with a socket in every room so 5 sockets on a ring main rather than as with pre-war houses just 2. But it was easy enough to work out where the wires were hidden in the walls, no longer were they run surface.
Even with all the faults it is still not what I would call lethally dangerous. Yes it will not comply with the regulations, but not dangerous just rough unprofessional workmanship from what I am reading.
What I see is as the real problem is adding any extras to a botched up system leaves the person who adds to it part libel if he does not correct the workmanship. Even with just a minor works one is required to test the existing installation to some extent and sign to say it is OK.
In my younger years I have been caught out. I am sure many have done the same, phone call from boss go to this address you need to do some work not quite sure what is required. On arrival you find you need some small item and you decide since so late you will leave the work not quite right and return next day with parts, but next day your told forget that job this new job is more important. Are you going to tell boss you have left the job non compliant, no you think I will be back in the area soon I will do it then.
In the days when it was rare to complete even installation certificates never mind minor works in two months time no one would remember who did the job anyway. And you would swear blind it was not like that when you left it. OK today we are more careful and if you find you have run out of earth sleeve you will strip some flex rather than leave it. But there are still a few of the old school still around.
So it is that sharp intake of breath and comment jobs worth, and walk off without doing the job, or correct some one else's work. That's the real problem.
This tread shows the problem as soon as you touch it you own it, and you can't report poor workmanship that has to be done by the person who ordered the work.
So in this case the council would have to get involved. You as a tradesman tell the owner to tell the council who in turn need to tell the contractor to return and correct the work. Now some one on the council will have signed off the work as completed to his satisfaction, likely he would have asked the house owner if it was all done OK and knowing no better they have said yes. So this council guy will need to tell his boss he did not visit and check the work, or the errors could not be seen. Hacking away at a consumer unit is not really hidden faults, so some one will need to hold up his hand and say sorry sir I did not do my job.
In a perfect world the council will have got the installation certificates or minor works certificates and passed on copies to the home owner, I found out the council social services personnel did not even know there was such a thing as a minor works certificate and so there was no chance of really getting it put right unless I paid for the work.
So in the real world what are you going to do, sharp intake of breath and walk away from the job, or do ones best without causing high expense. If the latter then as link shows the people before you have now got away with it.
