Assuming liability is what every homeowner does when they work on the electrical lines in their home. The publics’ idea of an electrical contractor lacks understanding of the amount of danger involved in wiring a home. It only takes 8/10 of an amp to kill someone which is less than running a light bulb. Electrical contractors must follow code and safety rules that are regulated since we put other peoples’ lives in jeopardy as well as our own livelihood. When you wire your home or project yourself, without a licensed electrical contractor, you assume responsibility and liability for anything that happens.
National Electric Code (N.E.C.) was not designed to keep the public from doing electrical work themselves. The N.E.C. was made for protection and for safety. Did you know that I need to be insured in my business to work on your house or business? If I am called to your house to work on a job that you have started on, I must assume full responsibility for the entire job. The whole job must be up to electrical standards.
I was asked to bid a job at a commercial building. They were installing conduit to a major sub panel and placing it 6 inches underground. When I questioned the installer, he explained that since he was using a shovel that was the deepest he could dig. It only takes one incident for someone to come through with a trencher to be seriously injured. Assuming liability becomes an everyday occurrence if safety rules and codes are not followed. Always get an electrical estimate from a licensed professional.
As I get older in this trade, I realize that the N.E.C. is more important than ever to try and protect the public from their own disregards of life. Becoming an electrician is one of the hardest trades to learn because it deals with equipment that you install that could affect someone’s life. Are you willing to risk your family’s life to save a buck?
