All references are based on the 2014 edition of the NEC.
Emergency Feeder Foul
This generator and temporary wiring was being used to provide temporary emergency power to a high-rise apartment building after the on-site backup generator failed. Section 590.3 permits temporary power for emergency situations; however, more care should have been taken when setting up this equipment.
The general rules of 590.4 require cables or cords to be used for temporary feeders. The Exception allows single insulated conductors to be used for this situation if the wiring is accessible to qualified people only. These wires are installed in a parking lot and also near a busy stairway. As you can clearly see, the installer made virtually no attempt to protect these conductors or prevent the general public from stepping right on top of them. The plywood with the bag of cement on top was a lame attempt at providing protection and separation. Tying the caution tape to the shopping cart was another failed idea because the cart simply rolled away, leaving the caution tape lying on the ground. Section 590.4(J) now prohibits cables and cords from being laid on the ground, but ironically does not prohibit single insulated conductors from being laid on the ground.
Don’t Flip That Switch!
Installing a switch in this way is a violation of 404.3(A), which states that switches “must be of the externally operable type mounted in an enclosure listed for the intended use.” This snap switch is designed to be flush mounted in a device box or similar enclosure. This is also certainly a violation of 110.3(B), since the switch is not designed to be installed or used in this way.
I’m assuming the piece of cardboard behind the switch was an attempt at installing some type of insulating material between the switch and the grounded metal enclosure, since there is really no clearance for the wires leaving the terminals due to the way this switch is mounted. This is an electrical explosion waiting to happen, since the cardboard is no guarantee as an electrical insulator.