this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
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Obligatory Tom Scott video https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q
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Thanks for posting this, but I have some notes.
His first point is nonsense. The holes are big enough for a screw driver full stop. If I have two screw drivers then I can shock myself. Not only that, its a guaranteed shock because I'm now making a perfect path to earth. Simple fix: dont make the holes big enough for screw drivers. UK plugs are even worse than yankee plugs for this. Aussie plugs fix this problem.
Aussie plugs cover the second problem. The letter nonsense is nonsense. The fuse is dumb, as above, FIX YOUR DAMN HOUSE WIRING. The last bit about your plug falling apart is classic British ideology, stop building things that fall apart.
Its clearly better than EU or yankee plugs, but thats not a great selling point when its still garbage.
What exactly do you think it's wrong with our wiring ??
Sensing a lot of hostility or Aussie patriotism just because Britain did something well and you don't want to admit it.
No other plug had the safety features the UK plug when it was designed or now AND the plug is just one part of a whole system. You act like our plug is the only line of defence - newsflash it isn't.
Any new property has built in RCD and breakers at entry to the property. That means it's hard to shock yourself regardless of the plug design.
The fuse in the plug is arguably not needed anymore but it's still a safety feature that could be used in some circumstances, so why take it out? The fuse existed before RCDs and as technology improved so did our electrical safety standards. The fact the fuse is still there doesn't mean it is the only way. The fact the gate is there doesn't mean it is the only way. You might guess by the number of safety features in the plug design that electrical safety is taken seriously in this country.
I'd also argue that screwdrivers are unlikely to be the thing that gets jammed in there anyway. Paperclips, toys, letter opener, etc more likely to be in kids hands I'd have thought, the gate makes it not matter what the implement is. Plenty of things are metal and will fit in any electrical socket - except the UK one unless the gate is held open with a second object.
The dexterity and understanding needed to open the gate with one hand and shove a metal object in the live in with the other is high enough that you are probably dealing with old enough children that they will know what happens if you do it. Even if they do, our "damn wiring" requires an RCD at the consumer unit so they'd still be safe.
There are older houses of course which have less safe electrics like a fuse box, but if you are going to judge by decades older standards, then I can do the same and then you still come out worse, because you don't have RCDs way back when and your wall sockets are unprotected.
P.s. A quick Google tells me Electrocution statistics in both countries are exactly the same when taking population into account. 20 deaths per year in Oz, 70 in UK. Most caused by faulty appliances. 1 in a million chance, in both countries.
If the number of electrocutions per capita are the same then it's clear the fuse is doing nothing. The only reason to keep it is if you don't trust your domestic network, specifically the protection systems provided. If they are to code then why waste your manufactures time, and the time and space of your users continuing to require them.
My argument isn't born from patriotism, it's frustratration at years of having to use an inferior product only to have someone claim it's not only great but the best. Well, it's not the best, far from it, but at the end of the day I don't think I'll ever live in the UK again so shrug have fun with your garbage connectors =)
Bear in mind that there are very old properties out there maintained by people who don't care or can't afford to rewire their house. The fuse remains to protect them not because of trust. Antsy part of my point was that taking one aspect in isolation doesn't tell the whole story. The Australian plug on its own is not as safe. It is made safe by upstream components.
Thanks I'll enjoy my garbage plugs.