On Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:38:22 -0400, rickman wrote:

> On 4/3/2017 3:09 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
>> On Mon, 03 Apr 2017 12:20:54 -0400, Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 3 Apr 2017 14:56:13 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
>>>  declaimed the following:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Uk 13A plugs are arguably the safest in the world.
>>>>
>>>> - square pins allow for better contact reducing risk of fire through
>>>> overheating and arcing.
>>>> - the earth pin is mandatory, not optional - unless the earth pin is
>>>> inserted the live and neutral are not accessible.
>>>
>> There's a clue that the pins are too big: the sliding shutters inside
>> the socket and/or the requirement for dummy blanking plugs to keep
>> small fingers out of the socket.
>>
>> The NZ plug is better. The wiping area on the pins is similar to the UK
>> plugs, because the side areas are similar, but the pins are only 1.5mm
>> thick, so the holes are far too narrow for inquisitive fingers, or many
>> screwdrivers for that matter, to go in.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112
>
> I don't see where these are really much different from other types
> including the US plugs that are nearly identical other than the angle of
> the blades and the US lack of insulation on the active and neutral pins.
>   We have mandated the shutters on the socket which is a PITA as they
> often don't work well making it hard to insert plugs.
>
> One thing I noticed is there seems to be a switch requirement.  That is
> not terribly useful as it depends on a user to turn the switch off when
> nothing is plugged in.  However, there seems to be a version which only
> powers the contacts when a plug is inserted.  Now that is a good idea.

+1 (Provided it is the earth pin that activates the switch)




--
If little green men land in your back yard, hide any little green women
you've got in the house.
  -- Mike Harding, "The Armchair Anarchist's Almanac"

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