Hi. I’m sure this has been discussed somewhere. If I can’t safely put a dead front cover back on(with the most likely reason being i’ve discovered a loose/protruding exposed conductor) what do I do? I know i’ll notify everyone involved but I still can’t leave a panel behind with an exposed live conductor. I can’t kill the power because there could/will still be energized lugs and conductors on the service side. I can’t restrict the area because that can still leave me open to liability if some kid comes around and moves the stuff to the side and touches the conductor. Am I just supposed to sit there until an emergency electrician can come and relieve me? it could in theory take hours, potentially many. what if a homeowner doesn’t want to fork over the $ for an emergency electrician? I’d imagine I would have the documentation for this in my written company safety procedure. Anyone ever deal with this situation or have any tips?
I should also add drywall/sharp tipped screws securing a panel. I know some inspectors carry blunt tipped screws but that opens up a completely new set of liabilities. That one is probably a more common problem.
The moment that you remove the dead front you have left and exceeded the SOP. If I encountered this situation i would trace the conductor back to the circuit breaker and turn it off. Seal up the panel, tape it off with my red danger tape and notify the owner immediately and of course include it in my report.
I’d do as Russell suggests and turn the breaker off, if safely could. And/or possibly wire nut it or tape it and find a piece of cardboard or simply tape the cover back on with the duct tape I keep in my truck. (I also carried proper cover screws and could do that route.)
Hang a “DANGER” explanation note from it and report on it.
And, of course, take pictures of it all.
Here is a panel that I inspected that showed evidence of arching after I removed the panel cover. You can see where someone pierced one of the service conductors and the conductor was still dangerously close to the screw hole. The only way to shut off power would have been to pull the meter. I contacted the listing agent who then contacted the owner. Together we remounted the cover without incident.
I have encountered plenty of times where I could not safely replace the panel cover and that even included brand new construction with proper panel screws. I always carry a piece of cardboard large enough to overlap the panel, painter’s tape, Ziploc bags, and a marker. I will do the following:
- Take lots of pictures of the issues in the panel and with the cover/screws.
- Cover over the panel with the cardboard and tape it in place with the painter tape.
- Write the issue on the cardboard and date it.
- Take all screws and place them in a baggie and tape it to the cardboard cover.
- Take pictures of what I just did.
- As soon as possible contact the seller’s Real Estate Salesperson, the buyer’s Real Estate Salesperson, or if it is a new build the Build Supervisor and advise them of the condition.
- Obviously this is added to the report not only the problem but the actions taken along with the picture of the covered over panel.
At that point you have done what you need to do in finding the defects and reporting them as they are safety related to anyone opening that panel or in this case trying to put the cover back on. What anyone does after that is beyond your control but you would have done all you can to ensure nobody attempts to take the cardboard off before an electrician does and injuring themselves in some way.
As for the SOP issue I have no idea where you are and what your SOP requires. Here in Texas we are required to remove the panel cover and inspect inside. If your SOP has no requirement and no prohibition to removing the cover then I recommend the following.
- Check your Electrician and Electrical Work laws to ensure you are not stepping into their licensed function. When it comes to exceeding an SOP I am always versed on that with anything I inspect and exceed our SOP on.
- If you are prohibited from opening that cover then make a note in your report that you are prohibited and why (reference the law). That way you don’t have to explain why you did not do it and “Joe Inspector Over There” does do it.
- If you open one panel then open all of them at all homes/locations. It’s called consistency and it will save you grief and issues later.
As for improper panel screws unless it is only one and I feel I can safely remove it and re-secured the panel with the remaining screws I NEVER remove them in the first place. Removing one is taking a chance but removing six is a path to trouble! You never know what damage to wiring already occurred and how close, if not on top of, you are to shorting a branch circuit wire. Also obviously you would not be putting them back in so you won’t be securing the panel cover. Why even go there? Even though we are required in Texas to remove the panel that would be an automatic no go and disclaimer. If I did remove that one screw it would be placed in a baggie, taped to the panel door inside a baggie (on the outside), and fully documented.
As for replacing the screws with proper panel screws I have only ever replaced them once in 20+ years. It was an existing home, the homeowner was there, the panel was improperly located above the washing machine, it was a much older panel, and all six screws were improper. It was a safety hazard in itself. The homeowner was a nice guy and I let him know he needs to get an electrician in and I would not be opening the panel as a result. He actually wanted me to inspect the interior and took the screws out himself and removed the cover. When I was done the owner guarded the panel while I went to my truck and retrieved proper screws and put the panel cover back on. There was NO WAY I was going to allow him to put that cover back on! That would have been a major liability issue if he injured himself even if I did not removed the panel. He was certainly happy as all that was found inside were minor issues and the panel location. I did document the entire incident in the report and that the panel now had proper screws.
I was working finals on two homes, the same development, a week apart, with the same electrician and encountered a major issue on both panels. The panel was poorly dressed inside and a 240V branch circuit wire was against the center mounting hole. Everything was good and easy until I reached the center screw and started backing it out. Wow the arcing inside was big time! Apparently the Electrician was lucky enough to get the screw in and most likely started the damage on the insulation. I came along and backing it out finished the insulation and arced.
That was two panels on two different homes by the same Electrician. The insides of the panels were a mess too. Obviously the cover was left off, panel taped up, etc. Don’t know what the Builder did but hopefully he shit canned that Electrical contractor.
If it looks like I will not be able to reinstall a panel cover I don’t take it off. The narrative is simple, “panel is inaccessible.” There is little point in wrestling with a penel cover.
Like anything, take reasonable steps. Call agents, tape it off or otherwise restrict the area. Fwiw, in 26 years I’ve never had a panel cover that I couldn’t put back on to some degree. I’ve left many with the screws barely in due to pointed ends or other concerns. I’ll push wires around a bit with my insulated screw driver to the point that I can at least get the cover in place. Kill the main breaker in the panel or at the meter is you want it to be less “live” while you mess with it.
It is fairly unlikely you will run into that situation (but not impossible). My advice, try to de-energize the wire or wires in question, and then manipulate them so that they are in a safe place so you can put the cover back on. If the conductors can not be safely manipulated, then put whatever you can in front of the panel, use tape if you have it, use makeshift signage, or whatever. But 100% you need to contact the listing agent and/or homeowner to explain.
How to Perform an Electrical Inspection According to the InterNACHI® SOP**
Ian, no way in the world that i would remove a dead front with a client anywhere near me. Way too much liability IMHO. SOP says not required to remove any covers. Do i want to? Sure I do, but not worth the risk.
We have been discussing this in another thread somewhere. This is not always black and white. Exceeding doesn’t necessarily mean violating. “Not required” is not the same as “shall not”. Not sure where the OP is from, but maybe his state requires it like mine does? Doesn’t too much matter, the point is just because he may have exceeded by removing the cover, that doesn’t automatically make him liable for any- and everything that might go wrong due to a present defect as opposed to inspector-created damage. As an inspector, he is qualified to remove the cover. Unless there a reasonable potential safety concern preventing cover removal, I think most inspectors would remove the cover, and they should.
Removing the dead front cover is crossing the line on the definition of a Home Inspection “is a non-invasive, visual inspection” This puts the inspector at risk should anything go wrong before, during or after the replacement of the cover.
When the house burns down after you leave the site and your report documents that you were in the panel, better pray that the fire investigator does not peg the panel as the source of ignition.
So, using that logic, you are also stating that an inspector should NEVER remove the access cover(s) on HVAC systems?? (Yes, they contain electrical components also)!!
True. Doing so is invasive and goes beyond the SOP and increases risk.
Whose?…
InterNACHI?
Cincinnati? Ohio?
House 2 Home Inspections?
You’ve been around long enough. You should know better, thus my question if a Local issue?!
Removing the dead front panel cover and removing the furnace blower door are both invasive practices and the InterNACHI SOP defines an inspection as visual non-invasive. I didn’t write the SOP or my state Home Inspector law Jeff, don’t kill the messenger.
Strongly disagree and I think you’re interpretation is way iff. See the videos posted above. If you are using NACHI standards in KY, then you certainly can and should remove the dead front cover as long as it is accessible and safe to do so. You do have the option to not remove it since you are not required, but you are most certainly not prohibited. That’s what you are confusing.
Dear God, pull yourself together, man 
You are also licensed in Indiana? You do realize that IN requires you to remove the dead front, yes?