> Making this sort of accident legal makes it definitive that people won't report it. Because there's no requirement to.

Huh? No. Make it a legal requirement to report it. Then there is all the incentive to report it and no incentive not to.

If it's illegal to have the accident, then attempting to cover it up is the most rational course of action, because if you can not report and get away with it then that's the only way you aren't punished.

If instead it's just a legal requirement to report it, then reporting it is the most rational course of action, because you can report and then aren't punished.

Right, but inserting a legal incentive to do everything to prevent the accident is considered more important than inserting a legal incentive to report when it happens. If there was no consequences to having the accident, sure, you'd know all about the ones that happen, but there wouldn't be much incentive for investing in prevention

We are talking about accidents that mostly happen on the ownership border between house owners and grid maintainers. If you can cover up an arc flash there in such a way they will not notice on their next visit without dying, you might deserve to get away with it.