Cable reels are required to have overheat protection. I would have thought this to be the case in Britain too?
No. I've seen a few cable reels with it included, but it's not very common here.
Trumpy,
I don't think the ungrounded/unearthed extension in C-H's post is as bad as you might first think.
The socket end is designed to take only the 2.5A two-prong Euro plugs. It won't accept the grounding-type Schuko or French/Belgian plugs, nor even the two-prong 10/16A plugs. If somebody uses an adapter on it to connect such a plug, that's another matter, but we can only so far in protecting people against their own actions.
Many older American 2-wire extension cords could be used with a 3-prong plug, the ground prong just floating unconnected. The newer-style extension sockets have a wider face to prevent that.
