Unsafe plug with sheathead earth pins?

[positiveman87]

Hi guys

I import electrical items from overseas and I have ran into a problem with a particular products charging plug.

Apparently it's unsafe to UK standards as it has "sheathead earth pins"

I'm confused as it has the markings of BS1363 on the plug which I thought means it meets all safety criteria.

A few questions

1: Is it genuinely BS1363 compliant as it states on the plug?
2: What are "sheathead earth pins"
3: Does it appear to be dangerous

 

[Darkwood]

Welcome to the forum

If we are talking China here then you really need to be careful, China is flooded with fake Industries that manufacture cheap imitation products with claims of compliance, its your responsibility to ensure any product bought outside the EU and brought in complies, if you have sold any such items already then you may need to recall them as they could be a safety- shock/fire hazard.

The earth pin should be fully unsheathed and the simple fact that it isn't and claims to comply should ring some very big alarm bells, the chance of getting your money back is very slim too. You're not alone here, the UK has been flooded with phone chargers, battery charges etc usually sold on market stalls etc that have caused fires, damaged phones, exploded etc.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

In answer to your questions:

1. No, it is not compliant, because sheathed (a.k.a sleeved or insulated) earth pins are not permitted. There may be other discrepancies that we cannot see so easily, as the manufacturer has not apparently taken notice of the standards nor submitted the design for testing.

2. The sleeving / sheathing on a contact pin is the plastic collar around it nearest the body of the plug. This is required on the line and neutral pins of current production plugs (old ones did not have them) to prevent fingers contacting the pins while inserting and withdrawing the plug, and causing an electric shock. The earth pin is safe to touch therefore does not need sheathing.

3. When used with an earthed appliance, a sheathed earth pin can prevent it making contact in the socket, leaving the appliance without an earth connection. The design of a socket earth contact is usually different to that of the line and neutral in order to ensure it makes contact first when a plug is inserted. Therefore it tends to rely on the part of the earth pin nearest the plug body and will not work with a sheathed pin.

In this case the cable is 2-core for use with a double-insulated appliance and the earth pin will not be connected and need not make contact. The normal and correct method where an earth connection to the plug is not needed, is to use an ISOD (insulated shutter opening device, i.e. solid plastic pin) in place of a metal pin. The reason a sheathed earth pin is still unsatisfactory is that the plastic collar can catch on and damage the socket contact, reducing its efficiency when a compliant plug is later inserted.

Note: BS1363 is a standard, not an approval. It does not indicate a product is safe, it merely tells the manufacturer how to make it so. Whether they follow it is another matter - I could stamp BS1363 on a metal skewer but that does not make it safe to insert into a mains socket. What you are looking for are approvals, from recognised testing and certification bodies, showing that the device has been tested and found to comply. There are no approvals on your plug; there can't be as it's non-compliant. However manufacturers are known to print fake approvals on goods too, so even the presence of a recognisable approval is no cast-iron guarantee without the supporting documentation.

In summary - the plug is non-compliant and carries no approvals. It could possibly damage a user's socket. Since non-compliant items are often non-compliant in multiple ways, there may be other unseen problems.

 

[Octopus]

Hum... That looks like a class 2 power lead so no earth connection. No different too many mobile phone chargers

 

[Andy78]

Hum... That looks like a class 2 power lead so no earth connection. No different too many mobile phone chargers

I was thinking that what with the figure 8 plug. The earth pins are usually fully insulated though are they not ?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Ah, OK. I didn't see that end of the cable at first - will edit my post above so as not to be misleading.

OK, edited. You can have either a solid metal pin or a solid plastic ISOD (for class II applications) but not one of these as they can catch on the edge of the contact and damage it.

 

[Octopus]

I was thinking that what with the figure 8 plug. The earth pins are usually fully insulated though are they not ?

Not all seemingly.

 

[tony mc]

Im no plug expert but its marked 13A /250v
Should it not state the max fuse that should be put in especially with the small csa of the cable?

 

[Midwest]

OP I came across this web site a while back; BS 1363 Plugs and Sockets

It seems to be a similar plug to the one in your pictures?

 

[positiveman87]

Hi guys

Thanks for all info. Yes my plug is exactly as shown on the below safety advice website

BS 1363 Plugs and Sockets

Does anyone know why china make such bad plugs? They are experts in copying.. would it not be easier for them to just copy a UK plug that meets all safety standards? I don't see what the benefit is of making the plugs they make. Surely it would cost the same.

 

[UKMeterman]

Hi,
If you are importing goods there are some severe legal requirements on you, I would suggest having a chat with a test house such as
Home | York EMC Services

 

[Flanders]

Yes these are deffently fake and the fuse is probably fake aswell but if it isn't you should not have a 13amp fuse with a supply cord that size as others have said the cord is only 2 core so no earth required , i would not use the product has it could catch fire

 

[netblindpaul]

If you are importing & selling these devices within the EU (forget the referendum for a minute) then you are committing a criminal offence.
There is nothing else to say, I suggest that you issue a product recall notice before something goes wrong & you end up in trouble.

 

[UKMeterman]

Yes,
It is a criminal offence under the UK Plugs and socket regulations to sell that items, £20,000 fine and or 6months jail time, the same tariff applies if the item is unsafe. The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994

Additionally there are probably EMC and other safety issues, have a read of http://www.conformance.co.uk/adirectives/doku.php?id=emc

 

[Barry White]

Had a few of these from ebay and when you cut off the plug to replace it the cable consists of a few strands of copper coloured steel wire. Horrible **** just waiting to heat up and start a fire.

and if the fuse is fake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVJVswLbqaA