Ok Richard, we all have a 13A socket with RCD protection. Extra cost zero. Charging point (OK it may be quicker but I could install another larger socket and the bit of electronics to charge quicker for a few quid) I will stick to £500 extra cost. Type Bs and lost neutral detection and a rod and install and everything costs at least that much at present. We are spending a Billion pounds a year (30 years life) no discount rate, so nearer 2 Billion in accounting terms, per life saved. Now explain the logic for this, as I asked, it is not a few extra quid, it is a huge sum much better spent on other things (perhaps even the NHS) where it would make a much bigger difference to lives saved or extended. Cost benefit is never used in safety discussions, so alleged "safety" is never costed.


Do not get the idea I am against safe working, or reasonable precautions because that is the opposite of my view. The electricity industry do live working all the time and it is more than adequately "safe". There is the odd incident but rarely any deaths to jointers, who are obviously well trained. The saving to everyone in money terms is huge, because cutting off areas from electricity has many downsides, while work is carried out. The same goes for some overhead line repairs where shutoffs tend to be even larger. Now consider the adequate word, how do you assess that? Clearly one has to decide that some accidents are acceptable, at a low level. Realistically it is never zero, as there is no way to do this except by locking everyone up, which also has a risk level (actually quite high). We should do the same with car charging. Every other country accepts a slight risk level, it appears that ours does not. Why not, that is the question we need to answer?

Ok Richard, we all have a 13A socket with RCD protection. Extra cost zero. Charging point (OK it may be quicker but I could install another larger socket and the bit of electronics to charge quicker for a few quid) I will stick to £500 extra cost. Type Bs and lost neutral detection and a rod and install and everything costs at least that much at present. We are spending a Billion pounds a year (30 years life) no discount rate, so nearer 2 Billion in accounting terms, per life saved. Now explain the logic for this, as I asked, it is not a few extra quid, it is a huge sum much better spent on other things (perhaps even the NHS) where it would make a much bigger difference to lives saved or extended. Cost benefit is never used in safety discussions, so alleged "safety" is never costed.


Do not get the idea I am against safe working, or reasonable precautions because that is the opposite of my view. The electricity industry do live working all the time and it is more than adequately "safe". There is the odd incident but rarely any deaths to jointers, who are obviously well trained. The saving to everyone in money terms is huge, because cutting off areas from electricity has many downsides, while work is carried out. The same goes for some overhead line repairs where shutoffs tend to be even larger. Now consider the adequate word, how do you assess that? Clearly one has to decide that some accidents are acceptable, at a low level. Realistically it is never zero, as there is no way to do this except by locking everyone up, which also has a risk level (actually quite high). We should do the same with car charging. Every other country accepts a slight risk level, it appears that ours does not. Why not, that is the question we need to answer?