N. Thornton wrote:


From all I've read here it looks to me like an accident that no
sensible regulation or practice change could be expected to avoid. Why
do I say that? Nothing is 100% safe, not one thing in this world.

Two immediate examples similar to this come to mind. A friend installed
a picture hook on a drylined wall in the toilet and the tip of the pin
(20mm long) pierced the water pipe, producing a slow, expensive, leak
over the next few weeks.
The neighbours next door had a very expensive kitchen fitted (the
construction and electrical installation was crap) but the fitters
managed to puncture the water pipe under the wooden floor. It took 2
years for the problems to seriously show and required most of the ground
floor to be replaced! These piercing events are very common and
fortunately normally not fatal. At the end of the day, it just depends
upon whether your luck has run out. Sadly in Ms Tonge's case, it had.

Regards
Capitol