Energy Safe New Zealand reports that a socket outlet with insulation piercing construction has been identified as unsafe.

The Energy Safety team had been notified that a ‘fitting’ (being a socket outlet with insulation piercing construction) is being supplied in New Zealand, and that when used with tough plastic sheath (TPS) cable, that is approved for use in New Zealand, a transposition between live and earth is likely to occur, according to the article.

The installation of this socket outlet is designed to have three cord-piercing blades/knives (conductors) cutting through the sheath and insulation of a flat TPS cable to make the connection with each conductor within the TPS. The installation and connection do not require any peeling and removing of the sheath and insulation to expose the conductors,” the report says.

“Therefore, the connection of this fitting to a flat TPS cable relies on the relative positions of the conductors in the cable. It is recommended that you do not purchase or install this type of socket outlet with insulation-piercing construction on your property.”

If the socket outlet has already been installed in a property, Energy Safe urges all  licenced electrical workers to carry out an inspection and repair the wiring where needed.

Pictured: examples of socket outlets with insulation piercing construction. Left: blades/knifes (conductors) cutting through the sheath and insulation from one direction. Right: blades/knifes (conductors) cutting through the sheath and insulation from multiple directions. Note: these are simple examples showing blade/knife type connections to TPS cable. They are not compliant examples and are only used as a reference.