I can't think that I've ever seen one installed incorrectly. I think there was a higher skill level amongst the electricians who would have been installing those 40 years ago than I see in many of today's electricians.
Indeed. Neither should 100mA RCD's be regarded as doing so.
What were the figures of deaths if you include appliance related faults? ISTR the RIA for part P muttered something like 5K before they had to come clean and admit they had used the wrong stats.
These don't have to be "either or" issues - by all means fix the missing hand rail or lose carpet on the top step *and* fit a RCD.
(Tempting to say something about how many of these being caused by electrical faults is unknown ;-)
Yes again smoke alarms good, interlinked ones better, and mains powered even better.
Probably because some muppet had taken the battery out or failed to replace it.
If it was a couple of adults in a first floor flat, then there is very little risk for a RCD to mitigate. A house with kids, or old / infirm inhabitants plus regular use of power tools in the garden etc then the picture is different.
AIUI the 100mA trip should be a time delay type to provide discrimination, otherwise if, say, you cut your hedgetrimmer cable and cause a fault to earth both your 30mA circuit RCD and 100mA whole house RCD will probably trip at the same time.
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