Do 16 amp plugs/sockets have fuses?

[Spectric]

The info I was given

Amendment 3 came into effect on 1 July 2015, however, the changes in relation to consumer units did not come into effect until 1 January 2016.

From this point, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies have to comply with BS EN 61439-3 Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies. Distribution boards intended to be operated by ordinary persons (DBO).

Consumer units are pieces of equipment located where the incoming mains supply is fed to the individual domestic circuits. It typically includes protection and isolation hardware.

The amendment in relation to consumer units has been made in response to the increase in the number of fires which are thought to have involved consumer units with thermoplastic enclosures in which arcing on cables due to poor electrical connections caused overheating.

The amendment requires that consumer units contain fires, either being constructed using a non-combustible material or being contained within a cabinet constructed using a non-combustible material. It applies to consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies inside domestic premises. It does not apply to non-domestic installations or to outside installations.

 

[Jake]

After all, we have a whole profession in the UK that make their coin by finding ambiguity, hidden meaning not intended and the ambiguity in the name of justice.

That's because it is in fact quite intellectually challenging to express things precisely in language (although that ability is only a particular type of intellectual capacity).

I am a litigator so definitely a good example of the butt of your contempt. However, most lawyers are transactional lawyers whose work is to try to set out things precisely in express language in order to avoid ambiguity, meanings that were unintended and so on (to use your examples, ignoring the double use of 'ambiguity' as well as 'the ambiguity in the name of justice' which I assume was just unintended sloppiness).

Anyway I do not envy my future-looking colleagues that task. The more complicated bit they need to try to deal with, which you do not mention, is trying to design language which sets out what will happen in unknown future situations as well as language which as precisely and expressly sets out what will happen in foreseen situations which could take all sorts of different forms of variation. Neither of those are easy intellectual tasks in any way - the problem with life is that it rarely turns out to be as simple as the limited illumination cast by 'common sense' often dimly suggests.

 

[Robotstar5]

<snip>
The amendment in relation to consumer units has been made in response to the increase in the number of fires which are thought to have involved consumer units with thermoplastic enclosures in which arcing on cables due to poor electrical connections caused overheating.

Call me cynical but the increase started after Part P certification came into force in 2005 allowing anyone to do a 5 week course and become certified I had to do a 4 year apprenticeship to qualify.

Another anomaly is even after 45 years as an industrial sparky I (theoretically) can't do any electrical work in my own home!

 

[Spectric]

but the increase started after Part P certification came into force in 2005

Yes back to the domestic installer, and maybe a little bit of cost saving in the materials used. Why are we still using screw terminations with RCBO's, MCB's and the like when you can have terminations like that of the Wago connectors so no issues with torque or losening with age etc etc.

Another anomaly is even after 45 years as an industrial sparky I (theoretically) can't do any electrical work in my own home!

I would say that you can do any electrical work in your home because with your background who would question competency providing you have the tools at home to undertake the relevant testing. I firmly believe that understanding the background theory is essential and just teaching someone the very basic's could result in them making a wrong decision if they come up against something out of the normal.

 

[deema]

My youngest son who is a Barrister highlights that there is no such thing as justice, just how diligent, clever and resourceful your representative is.
I’m an engineer, a person who is good with numbers and carp at the written word.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

In England, justice is open to all—like the Ritz Hotel.