3 ms·

In the U.K. if you do as Amazon suggested nothing would happen - if the plug is in enough to be in contact with the socket’s terminals, the exposed metal is ins

In the U.K. if you do as Amazon suggested nothing would happen - if the plug is in enough to be in contact with the socket’s terminals, the exposed metal is insulated Defence in depth. Sure Amazon shouldn’t be telling 3 year olds to stick their fingers in sockets, but sockets shouldn’t kill 3 year olds if they do.

maccard 5y ago
Amazon doesn't just operate in the UK though.
barbazoo 5y ago
North American power sockets and plugs are a death trap. My 9 month old started to be interested in plugs and would try to pull them out, exposing the two prongs. It's insane. I started adding a bit of electrical tape to the base of the prongs to the nightlights that necessarily need to be on ground level but why this is the way it is, I don't know. I must be exaggerating the risk, otherwise the industry would be insane. I can't speak for the UK plugs but they sound similar to the "EU" ones where this just wouldn't be possible due to the design of the sockets and plugs.
- maccard 5y ago
  UK plugs are three pronged, with the earth on top and live/neutral on the bottom. The earth is longer than the other two pins and inside the socket is a switch that opens the live and neutral sockets when the earth pin is inserted. The live and neutral pins are insulated up to the point where they are exposed when connected to the mains, and the flex comes out the bottom of the plug meaning its borderline impossible to accidentally unplug by pulling on the cord. It's really quite clever.
  - barbazoo 5y ago
    That sounds quite a bit safer than the NA and even the other European ones. How practical is that I wonder? Does every appliance have a ground wire? That's certainly not the case in NA, even in the EU.
    - maccard 5y ago
      > How practical is that I wonder? Very, given that every appliance in the UK has had this for 75 years! > Does every appliance have a ground wire? No, but every plug has a "ground" pin. If the appliance isn't grounded (which in practice most aren't), then the pin is normally plastic, e.g. [0] [0] https://www.yunhuanelectric.com/Images/prdoucts/Plastic-pin-uk-power-cord.jpg https://www.yunhuanelectric.com/Images/prdoucts/Plastic-pin-...
      - midasuni 5y ago
        Class two devices don’t need to be “grounded” (we say “earthed” as they are doubly insulated (a fault won’t cause the case to become live) The main problem with British plugs is their size
        barbazoo 5y ago
        Yeah size is what I was thinking of when I said practical. But I'd take the bulky but safe design over the shitty NA plugs any day.

maccard 5y ago

Amazon doesn't just operate in the UK though.

barbazoo 5y ago

North American power sockets and plugs are a death trap. My 9 month old started to be interested in plugs and would try to pull them out, exposing the two prongs. It's insane. I started adding a bit of electrical tape to the base of the prongs to the nightlights that necessarily need to be on ground level but why this is the way it is, I don't know. I must be exaggerating the risk, otherwise the industry would be insane. I can't speak for the UK plugs but they sound similar to the "EU" ones where this just wouldn't be possible due to the design of the sockets and plugs.

maccard 5y ago
UK plugs are three pronged, with the earth on top and live/neutral on the bottom. The earth is longer than the other two pins and inside the socket is a switch that opens the live and neutral sockets when the earth pin is inserted. The live and neutral pins are insulated up to the point where they are exposed when connected to the mains, and the flex comes out the bottom of the plug meaning its borderline impossible to accidentally unplug by pulling on the cord. It's really quite clever.
- barbazoo 5y ago
  That sounds quite a bit safer than the NA and even the other European ones. How practical is that I wonder? Does every appliance have a ground wire? That's certainly not the case in NA, even in the EU.
  - maccard 5y ago
    > How practical is that I wonder? Very, given that every appliance in the UK has had this for 75 years! > Does every appliance have a ground wire? No, but every plug has a "ground" pin. If the appliance isn't grounded (which in practice most aren't), then the pin is normally plastic, e.g. [0] [0] https://www.yunhuanelectric.com/Images/prdoucts/Plastic-pin-uk-power-cord.jpg https://www.yunhuanelectric.com/Images/prdoucts/Plastic-pin-...
    - midasuni 5y ago
      Class two devices don’t need to be “grounded” (we say “earthed” as they are doubly insulated (a fault won’t cause the case to become live) The main problem with British plugs is their size
      - barbazoo 5y ago
        Yeah size is what I was thinking of when I said practical. But I'd take the bulky but safe design over the shitty NA plugs any day.