The bottom plastic of electrical outlet is broken. Does it need to be replaced? outlet b/c of fire hazard. In 8 of 10 outlets had a small piece of plastic at the bottom of the grounding plug opening. Why would so many be broken?
Electrical – Plastic ground plug openings in 110 outlet broken
electrical
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I like power strips similar to this for work areas. They are nice because they have an on/off switch, which if mounted in an easy to reach location could save life and limb.
Using a power strip like this should not be a problem, as long as you don't run too many tools at once. And it should conform to most codes, as it would be classified as an extension cord (I think).
Whenever you have an appliance that is drawing current, and you pull the plug while it is in operation, you are going to draw an electrical arc. The voltage is high enough that current still wants to flow through the air to power the item. This is not a good situation. Items that draw high amounts of current, ie; high wattage, should have an on/off switch in them to prevent this situation. To some degree, it happens when you plug them in as well.
The effect is that you are burning the metal contacts in the outlets and the prongs of the plug. As they become pitted and blackened, they do not conduct electricity as well, become highly resistive, thus creating heat and eventually will fail or burn up. This is an unsafe condition.
The solution: Make sure appliances are off before you plug them in or unplug them. If you own an iron, then always set its temperature dial to 0 (zero) or "Off" before you plug it in or unplug it. (Source: Panasonic's "Important Safety Instructions" page).
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Best Answer
"Need" to be replaced? I'd say yes vs. leaving them indefinitely, just because overall when the outlet is fully intact it has its best chance at protecting you, and itself.
Hypothesis on "why so many are broken":
Use caution while using them as maybe more is broken than what you see and consider changing them or having a handyman change them. As @EdBeal mentions, they are under a $1.00 each. And if backstabs are used, its a chance to "correct" that issue too.
FYI: Backstabs are where electrical wiring is pushed into a spring clip on the backside of a electrical outlet or switch instead of screwed on the sides securely.