Re: Skilled Worker

Sout5h Africa also uses BS546 - 15 A variety. India mainly uses the 5A ones.

As I read it they use flat pin plugs of the type AS/NZS 3112 (Australasian 10 A/240 V)

Oh come on people, never seen a plug with a T-earth pin before? They are commonly used on protected single-phase mains circuits, usually fed from a large UPS or generator backed supply. Other than the T-earth pin they are identical to a standard domestic mains plug - and often of MK origin. I fitted one to a piece of kit only last Friday.

The type with reversed pins - that is a horizontal earth and vertical power pins - were used on 110-0-110V centre tapped supplies that allowed notionally 240V equipment to be run from a supply that is - per side - not supposed to do so much damage to a human. Both of the supply pins were fused within the one plug. Very commonly used in communications, gas, and electricity remote sites.

I see a lot of Electrak plugs and sockets

As it happens I dealt with some today.

When I first came across them in the mid '80s I think the manufacturers dreamt that they might be the successor to the 13A BS 1363 plugs and sockets.

A new office block on the Granada Quay St site was fitted with them throughout, but it transpired that most appliances retained their 13A plug, and the in-house electricians cobbled together adapter leads.

When I was woring for a Greman company i S Africa the whole lab was wired up with German sockets instead of 15A ones.

Fortunately I had my UK 13A distribution boards with me, so MY UK kit was plugged into those...