I agree that savvy rogue contractors can skirt the law and build crappy, unsafe stuff (like came to light in Miami FL after hurricane....Hugo, I think...). But what regulations do well is make sure the honest guys know how to be safe. Whether they go to their conferences and learn best practices is optional, and they have to decide if they want to bear the expense.
If they ignorantly (not maliciously) wire the bathroom in an unsafe manner, however, they will fail inspection and be made to fix it properly. This is useful to the individual homeowners. In a way it's similar to the adage that "locks keep the honest people from breaking in." With both regulations and locks, they are less likely to stop the criminals.
If they ignorantly (not maliciously) wire the bathroom in an unsafe manner, however, they will fail inspection and be made to fix it properly. This is useful to the individual homeowners. In a way it's similar to the adage that "locks keep the honest people from breaking in." With both regulations and locks, they are less likely to stop the criminals.