I can understand pulling the fuse to connect new tails, but opening up the live cutout to connect an earth into a service as old as that is a bit much in my opinion.
I would agree,and even though the person supporting self-involvement,is unarguably,a knowledgeable and experienced fellow,the ongoing risk of responsibility,is a problem.
I suppose,you could say,if the DNO were asked and gave you in writing,the permission of doing such a task,then the worry has gone.
If you know this is not the case or will not happen - then there is your base-line legal premise,for it possibly being a risk.
I will add one more thing. The investigations,which throw up issues of this nature,are often instigated,due to another persons error,or a random or unconnected incident.
The size and seriousness,of the incident,equates directly,to the depth and quality,of the investigation. Any,and i mean any,deviation from the rules and regulations,present at the time of the work,will be used as a reason to obviate liability,and therefore compensation.
A classic example of this,was the gas explosion,in Eccles near me,some time back,where the plumbers/heating engineers,had some of their work held up as non-compliant and possibly dangerous,even though it was demonstrated as standard practice,known to the gas authorities,and still carried out today.
An incident of such seriousness,which would bring one's own work in to scrutiny,would be a one-in-a-million deal...but we imagine what we would spend our lottery money on,and that's much greater odds.
@Leesparkykent maybe you will never know. But yes I am like that in the real world. I do RAMS and get people working with me to read understand risks and sign them. And I tell them if they depart from any of the requirements they are off site never to return. It is all about liability from my perspective. Coming from a legal background as well I have worked in a trust and structured everthing around tilting liability away and I can assure one and all it works quite well. Bottom line is it worth taking risks after all our occupation has quite enough responsibility already without overburdening it with, let's say not well thought out strategies.
