Thoughts on Unswitched Sockets

[BluSparx]

Just a quick question, following doing some work today at a property where there is a small child who likes to stick things into items such as the dvd player etc.

The customer feels that unswitched sockets that are there are unsafe as always live and if the child sticks his toys in then he will get a shock ---- literally.

I am going back to swap them at her request for switched ones, however what are peoples thoughts on what they would advise regarding unswitched sockets as I can't find anything in the regs which says they should be switched and you can still buy unswitched ones.

My personal opinion is switched all the way 1) they are cheaper & 2) they are safer as can be switched off at the wall anyway.

 

[antimatter]

An example would be at a womens only gym - the owners had wired the hair driers straight into unswitched fused spurs so the hair driers couldn't be pinched. This is a hand held appliance, any spark or pat tester, or husband lol knows what a bashing hair driers take from women and hair dressers - anyway, showers, saunas and sweaty (conductive) users, using 2kw appliances prone to damage.

How will another gym member or staff member disconnect the power source when somebody is being electrocuted on the floor.

They wouldn't be electrocuted, the RCD that protects those special locations would trip, if any fault developed.

 

[Liberator]

Well yeah, you would hope so wouldn't you, I'm not a spark, but Im betting some sparks on here have seen Installations that wouldn't.

 

[johnboy6083]

They wouldn't be electrocuted, the RCD that protects those special locations would trip, if any fault developed.

prevention is better than cure in my opinion. As electricians, it is our duty when designing/installing to remove any possible danger, as far as is reasonably practical, with regards to our installations,orthose installations we are inspecting. If there isnt a switch, where there could be one, and that switch could prevent a dangerous occurance, then why not fit it?

 

[Doomed]

I will fit unswitched sockets in some commercial locations if there has been a history of nuisance switching.
Its odd that annoying public will switch things off, but rarely unplug them.

 

[Cyberprog]

Odd that MK don't do a fish key socket that replaces the normal switch with the fish key...