Asklemmy

What exactly do you think it's wrong with our wiring ??

Sensing a lot of hostility or Aussie patriotism just because Britain did something well and you don't want to admit it.

No other plug had the safety features the UK plug when it was designed or now AND the plug is just one part of a whole system. You act like our plug is the only line of defence - newsflash it isn't.

Any new property has built in RCD and breakers at entry to the property. That means it's hard to shock yourself regardless of the plug design.

The fuse in the plug is arguably not needed anymore but it's still a safety feature that could be used in some circumstances, so why take it out? The fuse existed before RCDs and as technology improved so did our electrical safety standards. The fact the fuse is still there doesn't mean it is the only way. The fact the gate is there doesn't mean it is the only way. You might guess by the number of safety features in the plug design that electrical safety is taken seriously in this country.

I'd also argue that screwdrivers are unlikely to be the thing that gets jammed in there anyway. Paperclips, toys, letter opener, etc more likely to be in kids hands I'd have thought, the gate makes it not matter what the implement is. Plenty of things are metal and will fit in any electrical socket - except the UK one unless the gate is held open with a second object.

The dexterity and understanding needed to open the gate with one hand and shove a metal object in the live in with the other is high enough that you are probably dealing with old enough children that they will know what happens if you do it. Even if they do, our "damn wiring" requires an RCD at the consumer unit so they'd still be safe.

There are older houses of course which have less safe electrics like a fuse box, but if you are going to judge by decades older standards, then I can do the same and then you still come out worse, because you don't have RCDs way back when and your wall sockets are unprotected.

P.s. A quick Google tells me Electrocution statistics in both countries are exactly the same when taking population into account. 20 deaths per year in Oz, 70 in UK. Most caused by faulty appliances. 1 in a million chance, in both countries.