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Socket 1.5m from bath but outside bathroom

Sparkymania
Hi


On a periodic inspection I have given a code 2 to a socket that is in a hallway opposite a bathroom door with the edge of the bath 300mm from the door. In fact you can even touch both at the same time.

My supervisor has said that it is not in the location so it's not required to be at least 3m away.

I disagree with this for two reasons.

1) The principle of the 3m distance is to reduce the chance of someone plugging in something that can be used while in the bath or shower, e.g. a TV balanced on the edge of a bath. Therefore, it does not make a difference if the socket was in a bathroom less than 3m away from the bath or outside the bathroom less than 3m away.

2) The definition of "location" in section 701. This can mean different things depending on context. E.g. Shot on location in Egypt can mean the whole of Egypt. Insert pin in correct location means a specific point. I have read a discussion on this forum where the definition was described as only being within the zones but this was disputed. 

I always took it to mean "room" but then why does is not say room. Because of this issue with the 3m I then decided that "location" must be more general and include the areas outside the "room" that are effected by this reg. 

However, looking at reg 701,1 it seems to be more specific. To quote "...locations containing a bath... AND to the surrounding zones".

According to that statement the "zones" are surrounding the "location". Therefore the location must be the actual position of the bath or shower. Not the room it's in. Not the area around the zones. Not the area up to what is effected by the 3m reg.

Therefore, the 3m to sockets reg should still count as being "anywhere" irrespective or the definition of "location".


What are your views?
  • 0
    well, the accident shown in the video would not occur if the earth core in the flex had been snipped off shorter !

    Actually this sort of thing is what occurs if plugs are made relatively expensive or if you try to restrict the sales of replacement parts to ordinary persons - in reality people do not wait for an electrician, they bodge a repair of broken or missing things with nail files, elastoplast or matches or whatever they have to hand.

    It is also my argument for permitting euro sockets as RCD fused spurs in the UK, as a vastly superior situation to what happens if you do not.


    I do recall as a child watching the visiting hairdresser who came to do my grandmother's hair when she got a bit old for walking in to town. The  dryer, fortunately double insulated, had bare ends on the lead, and the wires could be pushed in under the plug for a table lamp or whatever ever the customer had to hand, and this sidestepped the need for her to carry a bag of adaptors, or to waste 5 mins at every other  house changing the plug. The TV repair man did a similar thing to supply his soldering iron. I do not recall it ever going wrong.
  • 0

    mapj1:

    well, the accident shown in the video would not occur if the earth core in the flex had been snipped off shorter !




    And it would probably also not occur if there was RCD protection or if there was a PAT regime in place. That still doesn't mean if these things are in place it is safe/sensible to do it (and from the rest of your post you seem to agree).

  • 0

    mapj1:

    I do recall as a child watching the visiting hairdresser who came to do my grandmother's hair when she got a bit old for walking in to town. The  dryer, fortunately double insulated, had bare ends on the lead, and the wires could be pushed in under the plug for a table lamp or whatever ever the customer had to hand, and this sidestepped the need for her to carry a bag of adaptors, or to waste 5 mins at every other  house changing the plug. The TV repair man did a similar thing to supply his soldering iron. I do not recall it ever going wrong.




    I had the same problem on a flight to USA - the sockets were USA type. I wanted to use my laptop, but Mrs P's travel adaptor was in the hold and the flight attendants didn't carry them. Off with the plug and poke in the wires. Nobody noticed. ?


    How do you get an earth in an aircraft? ?

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