Of course if the charger had been fed via a U.K. double wound isolating transformer from a shaver outlet the deaths may not have happened. Or would they?

I suspect a separated circuit wouldn't have helped in Graham's example - the shock current flowed from L via the water and victim to N - no path to Earth involved. A 230V separated circuit (like from an isolated shaver transformer) would have been able to supply such a shock current just the same.

Perhaps a safer policy would be 30mA RCDs plus making all equipment deliberately class 1 with earthed parts around the live conductors (even if those live parts aren't exposed to touch) - so making a L-N shock without a L-PE residual current less likely.

   - Andy.

Mike, Graham, thank you - I think that I have the picture.

I can visualize the current through the bath water like the flux around a bar magnet. Most of the resistance of the skin will be lost, so with a conservative figure of 1000 ohms for body resistance, 10% of mains voltage will give a 23 mA shock, which is more than enough.

I also take the point about drowning, but I would expect the autopsy to differentiate that from VF.

AJJewsbury: 
 

Of course if the charger had been fed via a U.K. double wound isolating transformer from a shaver outlet the deaths may not have happened. Or would they?

I suspect a separated circuit wouldn't have helped in Graham's example - the shock current flowed from L via the water and victim to N - no path to Earth involved. A 230V separated circuit (like from an isolated shaver transformer) would have been able to supply such a shock current just the same

But if the electric shaver was supplied by a 20VA shaver unit that would reduce the shock current wouldn't it? The shortest path is between the L and N at the underwater shaver, inside the shaver. When that short occurs the Voltage would be reduced substantially along with the current available.

There are though many, many recent reports of bathers being electrocuted when a phone charger falls into the bath tub. Supplied directly from a powerful source I imaging. Perhaps we should just use 12 Volt caravan type appliances in bathrooms.

Z.

Zoomup: 
Perhaps we should just use 12 Volt caravan type appliances in bathrooms.

Battery toothbrushes and their chargers, and shavers are fine in a bathroom, but it's beyond me why anybody would use anything electrical whilst taking a bath. A flannel, brush, sponge, or loofah does a perfectly adequate job.

It is the phone on charge that people can not be parted from apparently.

What everyone already knows…

Shaver Sockets for UK Bathrooms - With Isolating Transformer - Bing video

Z.

But if the electric shaver was supplied by a 20VA shaver unit that would reduce the shock current wouldn't it?

A bit - 20VA at 230V is about 90mA - and it will probably supply a bit extra under fault conditions until the thermal overload disconnects the transformer - so likely it can supply well in excess of 100mA - that twice what can kill in normal dry conditions - and probably nearer to 50x what can kill in totally immersed conditions as skin resistance will be much reduced. So perhaps better than direct mains, but still I don't think it's the sort of thing I'd bet my life on.

   - Andy.