Had a weird incident yesterday. A cable reel which was plugged in fell off a countertop giving a sharp jerk to the plug in the wall socket (outlet).
The plug remained in place but the double socket plate split in half and pieces of plastic feel off the front leaving the two plugs fully engaged but with the live innards of the socket exposed.
This was a 15-20 year old MK double switched socket (flush fitted)
Isn't it about time that UK sockets moved over to using fire retardant ABS plastics rather than that brittle white stuff? The plugtops are no longer made of that material. I remember if you dropped an old British plug (even a 1970s/80s version) it would crack and break. I remember seeing plugs with the earth pin loose at the top etc etc.
I know that metal clad versions are a lot tougher but I've seen plenty of instances where a white socket has been hit with a vacuum cleaner or a peice of furnature and cracked and where the householder hasn't bothered to replace it or has just used electric tape to hold it together.
On another point. Why can't BSI specify where the cable should enter socket and switch plates? I've come across plenty of situations where when you remove an old plate that the cables are ridiculously short and will only reach the terminals on one type of plate. E.g. MK's plates all seem to have terminals at the top where as others are in the centre at the back. Surely this should be standardised? If only to make life easier!
