"Alex" wrote in message
...
Milleniumaire wrote:
On closer examination of my light switches, they don't appear to have
earth cables, just a live and switched live wire! The ceiling roses do
have earth connections but this earth isn't taken to the switches. I
know from experience that this isn't unusual and is the way that the
last three new houses I have lived in were wired.

Are the cables run through metal conduit which provides an earth? That is
how the earthing for most of the sockets and switches in my flat is done -
there is no seperate cable for those fittings.

Alex

The UK Electricity Regs were updated by the newer edition over15 years ago
from allowing just (proven unreliable) conduit continuity for earthing to
stipulating a third wire to radiate from true earth in the consumer unit (or
mains supply entry) to any outlet or power device, be it daisy-chained along
a ring-main or at the end of a spur.
As far as I know, only pendant incandescent lampholders, ES or Bayonet, made
from thermoplastic are exempt from the 3rd installation wire.
Steel via Conduit and sunken /surface boxes is used for its physical and
sometimes EMI protection.

Alex, I would seriously ask you and/or the owners of the whole block of
flats to have system earth-loop resistance testing and any necessary
corrective safety measures done.
If it cares at all about the risks of preventable accidental death, what
does your buildings insurer say?
Jim