When putting the cover plate on your electric panel you should never use sharp tipped screws. Sharp tipped screws when going into the panel can cut into the live wires in the panel, cause a circuit breaker to trip and damage to the wiring. Putting yourself in harms way by increasing your potential of being shocked is also a reality. Electric panels come with blunt tipped screws that do not cut the wires and if you loose those you can go to the hardware store and buy extras.

I was inspecting a house that had been remodeled by the owner and the owner was standing behind me when I took the panel off. He had used sharp tipped sheet rock screws to put the panel cover on.  I pointed out that this should not be done and explained the above reasons. He was non plussed about it. I put the panel cover back on and promptly pierced one of the wires with the sheet rock screw, causing a large spark and tripping the breaker.  I turned to him and said “kinda like that.”