In article ,
N wrote:

Is/was this normal practice? I always thought following the joists was
quite safe, I am begining to wonder if any of the other boards I have
screwed down over the years, about half the house, may have screws
perilously close to wiring. Although where possible I have always tried
to look and work out the routing of wiring piping etc. I just got
carried away yesterday as it was one of the last boards along the line
of the joist.

What is/was normal practice?

It's possible in an older house they simply re-used a notch made for
either older cables or now redundant gas pipes etc. However, such a notch
would normally be in the middle of a floorboard so it may still be nailed
or screwed safely. If not, I'd put a steel strap across the notch *and*
mark the floorboard clearly with the position of the cable.

--
*Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn