I had a licensed electrician here in Ohio tell me I’m breaking the law by removing the dead panel on an electrical distribution panel. I can’t find any statute to support his claim and was unprepared to challenge him at the time. Can anyone here provide statute or precedent to that fact?
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Was his name Michael?
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Read this…
“However, if a person holds them self out as a home inspector and offers to perform an inspection of the home and its systems but indicates that they will issue a report indicating the state of function, operation or relative hazards, but not refer to code compliance, they would not be in violation of this law.”
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Terry, all of the Ohio HI’s that I know, including myself, open the dead front on panels.
Roy posted correctly.
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The article states that Mr. Roe was proven wrong when in fact, the “However” statement says he was correct. On Tuesday 9/2 at 8:30 am the Ohio Home Inspection Licensure Board will meet for possibly the last time before the statute becomes enforced in November. The last part on the agenda is the Ohio Standards of Practice. It WILL be challenged by some to include wording such as “Shall Not” when it comes to inspecting electrical panels during a normal home inspection unless the inspector is a licensed electrician. I want to make sure I can argue that we are not inspecting for code violation but rather on function as intended, and safety hazards.
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I’ve been an electrician in Ohio for 20yrs and never heard of this. We follow rules and safety procedures, dead fronts fall under qualified personnel only. This means you where trained and understand the hazards involved when approaching and entering a panel and the proper safety procedures to use when doing so. To say it’s against the law, sounded like a disgruntled person that was upset because you where in his panel. I guess the only thing he could do involving law would be report you to OSHA for unsafe practices if any existed. For what it’s worth, I show up to jobs where the maintenance crew, owner, other trades have opened the panel and tried probing around for themselves, I guess they should be arrested and fined for “breaking the law”.
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Please let us know the outcome, Terry.
thanks!
Ya mean the disgruntled poop-head that wants to be hired to remove panel covers?..?.. 
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Parks is at it again. He sure is determined. I’m thankful he hasn’t posted here in awhile after being proven wrong on many electrical issues.
Please don’t wake up the devel!
Even the devil ain’t that stupid…Nope!
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Interesting, glad I’m not in Ohio. We all find way to many issues in panels not to check them.
I always tell clients I’m not doing a code inspection but may refer to manufacturer’s recommendations and current industry standards. Someone could always argue with me about current standards but if someone said I was breaking the law, I imagine I just ask them to point me to the specific statute.
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Somebody is still full of shiit.
I’m curious as to whether he is a licensed attorney in OHIO to be interpreting the law… IMO: He is either dishonest, incompetent or both.
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Registrant Name: Mike Parks
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Registrant Street: 1190 Atwater Ave
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I don’t want to call the guy out on this forum. I feel it is unprofessional. He’s just trying to separate himself from other inspectors I guess.
IMO: Parks deserves to be called out on this forum for making false statements that are harmful to home inspectors throughout the state of Ohio.
I believe that InterNACHI should file a suit against Parks on behalf of all Ohio Home Inspectors for suppression of trade by publicly conflating the electrical component of a home inspection with “Electrical Inspection”, which seems to have specific legal and regulatory meaning in Ohio, through his website and stating “Home Inspectors are limited to inspecting the exterior of an electrical panel. AKA a visual inspection.”
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WOW!
You absolutely hit the nail on the head.
This guy would be dead meat in the 'ol days.
Our assoc attorney who was given many directives, that always seemed to be putting someone on “notice” has gone. I suspect he finally had issues with all of it.
I’m putting myself forward on Tuesday. Given what I’ve read here today gives me what I need to get on record. Wish me luck.
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Thank you all.
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Each State is different on code enforcement, such as opening the panel box. Find out who enforces the electrical code in your area and get their guidance. If the authority having jurisdiction says no, they just cut your liability. Maybe someone should go to the NEC and find-out what the code says about a non-licensed person opening a panel box. An HI is not a code inspector but the HI also should not violate the code as well, if it is prohibited. Always be careful opening an electrical device, raw electricity does not feel good.
From the article. "and indicates that they are inspecting the electrical system in accordance with the code.
Argument: We do not inspect to code. We inspect visually, terminations and take photos of service equipment.
As long as the front is removed utilizing PPE, Glass, Gloves, Proper foot ware and draw a safety perimeter for all involved, I tell them get out of the room or at least, turn your heads while I dismount the front, a home inspector protocol has been safely maintained.
Follow OSHA guidelines on this matter.
Curiously some idiot legislator in Annapolis (MD) is trying to do something similar to Baltimore City Rental Inspections.
Last year (2018) the city decided to create a program whereby state licensed home inspectors would perform the city rental inspections for their own fee. 4 form revisions later the city has us inspecting merely for the presence of GFCIs and appropriate smoke and CO alarms as well as the absence of any pest indicators (yard burrows, or holes in walls that might provide entry, or trash.
These two items electrical and pests caused the state legislature to pass a bill that would restrict the pest inspection (presently licensed by Maryland Department of Agriculture for pest control recommendations and/or pesticide spraying) and require the electrical component to require additional training (despite already allowing this service in State licensed home inspections). Fortunately the Governor did not sign it, yet, so hopefully it will simply fade away.
Obviously someone lobbied to protect their own turf. Just more over-reach by some self appointed experts (read that as politicians). I don’t charge a separate fee, but I always point out rats when I see them!