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Duhuh, Well professor, if you want to have a Electric lesson here on this blog lets go. First you speak of Voltage. The part you are missing is the Amperage. Electrons travel trough "conductors" Amperage determines how fast the travel. Your anaolgy of 24v can kill you but at what amp? 1amp 100amp 1000amp If you want to teach remember your first lesson Electrical power seeks the easy and fastest way to ground. That is why wire is made of copper or aluminum not plastic or wood. The human body with its make up of tissue and water which are good conductors make us vunerable to shock.
"Amperage" The speed of which an electron travels through or down a conductor. 7th grade Electronics Class. You must have missed that class.

Second. Safety. True most 220v shocks rarley happen by grabbing wires. If you are indeed a Electrical/Mechanical Contractor you should know that most fatal or injury shocks occur at the unit, panel, or disconnect.

Example, Tech forgets to turn off disconnect opens unit service panel starts to perform service or disconnect unit "Bam" gets hit. Tech thinks disconnect is off, it is in a bank of disconnects, does not check at unit starts service "bam" hit. Most times its a screwdriver that crosses the legs and the shock happens. Tell me you never seen that?

As far as the "dock" issue the NEC code at the time the homeowner stated 1985 the dock was installed by a contractor and wired by a contractor. NEC in 1985 was romex (residential) and ground lug near water. I have seen many underwater pool lights that have takoffs from the "fuse" panel to a sub box and run out to the pool light box in UG Romex with a ground #8 wire then to a 1/2" ground rod. That was code in 1971 we had such a pool as a kid and I would refuse to swim in it with the light on. That pool was wired by an "electrical contractor" and inpected by the City and passed.So your arguement is that now that GFCI has come along it is up to the homeowner to "upgrade" to current code due to repairing his deck. So lets say your company vechicles are not equipped with front/side/rear airbags. It has rust and the paint is faded you repaint it, you then should "upgrade to all airbags" so you or your workers are protected in the event of a collision right? Answer that, where does it end. Where do you draw that line?