Pole.

The danger is slightly less than that of a PME earthed lamp-post, but then you do not normally want one of those in your garden. Less because any connection is not metallic, as it would also be for say an outside tap via metal pipes, but via the earth around the rod.

The unhappy coincidence of an electrical fault that put a lot of current into the ground, and the child being optimally positioned and oriented to receive a dangerous shock, is to say the least, most unlikely. The fact that the supply is ABC also works in your favour - a single core fault will not result from a falling tree or similar - and that sort of thing does not happen on a sunny day.

Perhaps the youngsters should not be out in conditions of high wind and rain without insulating footwear, as well as waterproofs. The short of fault that would be dangerous (broken PEN) is usually fixed  or isolated PDQ, as fok notice the effects of voltages being wildly out.

It is probably less of a risk than almost everything else in the back garden, unless all plants, garden tools, trip hazards etc are removed first.  Small children have a lower shock threshold, but they also take smaller steps.

I'd not be worrying.

More of a concern if they want to do something like build a den round it would be splinters, or the wood preservatives that are quite nasty.



Mike.

The danger is slightly less than that of a PME earthed lamp-post, but then you do not normally want one of those in your garden. Less because any connection is not metallic, as it would also be for say an outside tap via metal pipes, but via the earth around the rod.

The unhappy coincidence of an electrical fault that put a lot of current into the ground, and the child being optimally positioned and oriented to receive a dangerous shock, is to say the least, most unlikely. The fact that the supply is ABC also works in your favour - a single core fault will not result from a falling tree or similar - and that sort of thing does not happen on a sunny day.

Perhaps the youngsters should not be out in conditions of high wind and rain without insulating footwear, as well as waterproofs. The short of fault that would be dangerous (broken PEN) is usually fixed  or isolated PDQ, as fok notice the effects of voltages being wildly out.

It is probably less of a risk than almost everything else in the back garden, unless all plants, garden tools, trip hazards etc are removed first.  Small children have a lower shock threshold, but they also take smaller steps.

I'd not be worrying.

More of a concern if they want to do something like build a den round it would be splinters, or the wood preservatives that are quite nasty.



Mike.