Correct wiring during appliance installation or repair follows standardized color conventions and connection practices that exist specifically to prevent electrical hazards, and deviating from them, even unintentionally, introduces risk that may not be obvious until a fault occurs. Live, neutral, and earth wires each serve a distinct function, and swapping live and neutral connections, while sometimes still allowing an appliance to appear to function normally, can leave exposed metal parts electrically live even when the appliance switch is off, creating a shock hazard during routine cleaning or maintenance.