My experience is that I have none!

Wholesaler laughed at me when I asked about them. "Come back and talk to me about these devices when you are wiring a server farm for google or microsoft - we have never been asked for them and we don't intend to make them a stock item".


I suspect that after 'RCD everything', Buy your torque screwdrivers', fit metal CUs only', that this is the latest wheeze to flog gear to resolve a problem which does not really exist in the UK - we aren't located in sub-tropical latitude are we? And if there really is a problem, then why aren't the OEM guys resolving it at their equipment/appliance-end at the other end of the 13A plug instead?

Cost-cutting on component quality, or even omitting such integral protection altogether?

You can buy 4-13A outlet 'bars' with built-in anti-surge/arc protection for a lot cheaper than one of these things.

If anything was ripe for entering into the 'Departures from BS767' box, this issue is it.

421.1.1 states that you shall protect against "insulation faults or arcs, sparks and high temperature particles"

I think originally we took the attitude that you protected against insulation faults be physically protecting the insulation (by cable sheath or conduit or similar) or by arranging for automatic disconnection (faults being presumed to be of negligible impedance). Protection from arcs, sparks and high temperature particles was provided by enclosing any device likely to produce such things (be it an MCB, fuse, switch, motor commutator or carbon rod arc lamp) in suitable materials (either the body of the device itself or an outer enclosure).


  - Andy.