A recent study commissioned by Electrical Safety First revealed that some travel adaptors on the UK market have significant electrical safety hazards.
The study was carried out by a specialist independent laboratory and highlighted considerable safety issues in almost all the travel adaptors tested. In fact, five of the six tested showed safety hazards.
The laboratory found that live parts can be exposed when a single plug pin is inserted into one of the current carrying socket openings, a hazard which does not exist when a socket is within the BS1363, UK product standards.
Another hazard the laboratory discovered was that when a single plug pin is inserted the safety shutters open which allows access to the live parts.
Four of the five adaptors had larger dimensions for the socket openings, where the line and neutral pins are inserted, than UK product standards allow. It was thought that this had been done purposefully to allow two pin UK shaver plugs with closer together circular pins than standard 13amp plugs.
UK product standards say that 13A socket outlets must be designed and made to ensure that the pins can be inserted and are touching all the relevant socket contacts. However, as some items, such as shavers, have plugs which are different sizes, the adaptors tested haven’t got this safeguard built in.
This means that it is possible to insert the earth pin of a standard 13A plug into either of the current carrying openings. The issue with this is that the metal parts of the plug then become live, which can result in electric shock when touched.
Also, four of the adaptors in the study only allowed the insertion of one of the current carrying pins from a standard 13A plug into the socket space, which also means a risk of shock from the other pin carrying current.
Three of the adaptors allowed both current pins from a standard 13A plug to be inserted in the wrong way. Despite the reversal of polarity this would leave the plug unearthed, which would cause electric shock if there were an earth fault.
Electrical Safety First have reported their findings to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and those responsible for the adaptors, and say they are monitoring to see if any action is taken.
However, they did feel it important to say that an own brand adaptor from Boots managed to pass all their tests and did not show any electrical safety hazards.
Written by Sara Thomson
