IP rating of domestic appliances?

[brianmoooore]

Fitted a new Hotpoint washing machine in one of the holiday cottages today. I tipped it onto its side to remove the last of the packaging, and was very surprised to find that the entire bottom was open, except for a 40mm or so wide plastic frame all around the outside, and six easily accessible uninsulated spade terminals in plain view. Obviously nothing was accessible with the machine upright, but if something rolled under it, and the machine was tipped back to reach under, the live terminal on the water pump, right at the front, and very low down, isn't going to be very far from probing fingers.

 

[UNG]

A lot of washing machines have been built like that for a good while if you are lucky some do fit a flimsy plastic sheet on the bottom of the machine to prevent unhindered access

 

[brianmoooore]

The machine has an adjustable foot at each corner. The floor I fitted it on is level, so it was pushed back with all four screwed almost right up.
If it had been installed with the front feet screwed out to their limit, I reckon that the exposed live terminals on the underside of the pump could probably be reached by fingers.