socket safety guards

[telectrix]

hi, all.

have heard that those plastic safety thingies you plug in have been banned as the "earth pin" can break off in the socket, leaving the shutters permanently open. , so i am advising my customers to bin them. anyone confirm whether or not they are actually banned?

 

[nickblake]

here what the electrical safety council have to say about it Socket covers : Electrical Safety Council

in my eyes there is no need for them in the uk as sockets are shuttered and near impossible for you to poke things into them ,The MK sockets the shutters do not open until the L and N and E terminals are all inserted ive had one where the earth pin has broken off in the socket leaving the terminals exposed

 

[IQ Electrical]

These look awful but would be good in a nursery or school.

Plug Lock UK - NEW!13a plug socket electrical safety cover.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Tell me you're joking please?

Good for what?

To prevent all the children circumventing the brilliant BS1363 shutter system?

 

[topquark]

Why not simply make the inbuilt shutter system lockable?

 

[telectrix]

better idea is to cable tie the brats's wrists behind their backs.

 

[malcolmsanford]

better idea is to cable tie the brats's wrists behind their backs.

Uncle Ernie from quadrophenia wasn't based on you was it Tel

 

[telectrix]

dunno, never seen the film. it was a mods thing at the time and i was a biker.

 

[nickblake]

Just got back from a call out just down the road at community center socket cover removed earth pin broke off here a pick good reason why they should be banned in my eyes

 

[nickblake]

Just to add ive sent this Pick to the ESC maybee this will give them good reason to ban them

 

[telectrix]

on a slight digression, i have come across a ccouple of occasions where the plastic "earth" pin of one of those plug-in PSU's has broken off in the socket.

 

[Marvo]

If there was never a market for these 'child-safe' inserts how come they are/were sold for so long by so many well know retailers?

 

[IQ Electrical]

If there was never a market for these 'child-safe' inserts how come they are/were sold for so long by so many well know retailers?

That's the difference between a 'market' and a 'need'.

The 'consumer' is often a 'mother to be' browsing baby accessories, probably without a copy of BS 1363 in which our globally superior socket shutter system is specified!

Just because something sells in numbers does not make it good, look at Jedward!

 

[brucelee]

Hi Iq after reading yours and everyone elses posts i will be telling my brothers wife to remove the ones she has, because she has loads because of being a registered childminder when i was doing a PIR before I do a board change I had to remove loads of these and they are a pain, cheap and nasty I will ask her was she told to fit these by ofsted or whoever inspected her premises
MY brother had just got a £2k feature fire fitted a round one first thing they said to him was you will have to get a cover made, I wouldnt mind its never on they just use C/H
He even had to go round all the houses with joining gardens whose fences where also is and ask if they would mind if he replaced the posts that where slightly leaning in

 

[IQ Electrical]

Hi Iq after reading yours and everyone elses posts i will be telling my brothers wife to remove the ones she has, because she has loads because of being a registered childminder when i was doing a PIR before I do a board change I had to remove loads of these and they are a pain, cheap and nasty I will ask her was she told to fit these by ofsted or whoever inspected her premises
MY brother had just got a £2k feature fire fitted a round one first thing they said to him was you will have to get a cover made, I wouldnt mind its never on they just use C/H
He even had to go round all the houses with joining gardens whose fences where also is and ask if they would mind if he replaced the posts that where slightly leaning in

Pass on the link to FatallyFlawed it's much better than trying to explain the dangers.

I linked to this on Twitter before Christmas and got thanked from many people and many more retweeted the link.

I have to credit John Peckham from another forum for first alerting me to the 'campaign'

 

[brucelee]

Cheers IQ

I will pass it on to her after looking at that she will be more inclined to remove them and also know why then if she is questioned she can educate the relevent people

ta

 

[telectrix]

i think that the design and manufacture of these devices shows that some doo-gooder with the electrical knowledge of a snail can convince the general public that they are a must have accessory. it's a pity the same marketing pressure were not channelled into having all electrical work done by qualified sparks and regular test/inspection of installations.