ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Schuko trailing sockets legal in UK?

Some bad news then...

Plugs and sockets outlets for domestic use are explicitly excempt from common European rules. (See the "Low voltage directive", 73/23/EEC, ANNEX II Equipment and phenomena outside the scope of the directive)

In the latest revision work, only Italy and Portugal suggested including plugs and socket outlets in the LVD so for the forseeable future, the situation will remain unchanged. Plugs and socket outlets for domestic use cannot be CE marked.

This means each and every country in Europe can forbid foreign system of plugs and socket outlets.

What can work in your favour in case someone bring it to court is that the European plugs are all built and tested to the same international standard. With differences for the different types of plugs, of course. (The situation is even more bisarre if you look deeper into it.)

One suggestion is that you manufacturer looks into making a IEC 320 version of the mains block. A number of manufacturers make such. Shuttered versions are available. (I think Shurter have them) In addition, these can be dual listed for North American and European market.

("Supra" is the company that makes cables with "conductive insulation"... Need I say HiFi?)

Assuming that there is no overriding EU rule then, it would appear that the Plug & Sockets Regs. 1994 would be the only ones which might conceivably apply.

I'm no lawyer, and the act seems to be full of the usual legal mumbo-jumbo and exceptions to exceptions which makes it very hard to follow, but this part caught my eye:


Obviously parts (a), (b), and (d) are satisfied, which just leaves (c).

Note the recurrence of the phrase "is designed to be connected to a socket conforming to BS 1363 by means of that flexible cable or cord," or words to that effect.

I would argue that if the individual pieces of equipment are intended to be connected via the Shucko distribution block, then each individual cord is clearly not intended or designed for a BS1363 socket.

As far as selling the actual distribution board is concerned, you can put whatever sockets on it you like. You could easily make this "designed for connection to a BS1363 socket" by simply cutting off the original Shucko plug and fitting a BS1363 type instead.

Distribution boards for various types of foreign sockets are already on sale widely. I can't see that there's anything to stop you. legally.

(In practice, I doubt anything much would happen even if that 1994 law did apply. )

Hi all,

Thanks for your various posts.

I've found a picture of the item in question just for curiousity's sake:



so hopefully, interpretations of the various UK reg's could be better applied.

I've taken a look at various things now and am still not 100% clear on this.

But will keep on it.

regards,

Tim


[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 07-19-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 07-21-2005).]

Bump,
Just thought I'd throw a reply in here seems the picture has been added.
Sorry it's taken me so long to add it Tim, I've got a bad dose of the flu at the moment.

Ah.... So the distribution block has an IEC connector for the supply input anyway.

I don't see any problem at all with this, so long as you supply a BS1363-to-IEC lead to connect power to this block.