Schuko is short for Schutzkontaktstecker which means grounding plug. Nothing more or less.
Well, IMHO BS 1363 with unsheathed pins are indeed pretty scary. It's really easy to touch those huge pins while pulling out a plug. I've never had a problem using our old ungrounded plugs with unsleeved pins because they have a really huge face preventing you from touching the pins, but the older flat style lugs were pretty scary too, along with those cheap tiny NEMA 1-15 and some other plug styles. Some time ago I nearly got shocked by a NEMA 1-15 plug pack transformer when I tried to unplug it single-handed like I would unplug a European one (use thumb and index finger to pry between plug pack and receptacle face plate). Just before I was touching the live pins I realized it might be a good idea to develop a different technique in the future.
