vantech: 
 

ZIn the USA I believe it’s actually required by regulation to install a socket next to the sink. 

Most of continental Europe has sockets by the sink. 

The UK is is very strict on this, but you have to wonder why and if there is actually a benefit with the use of RCDs. 

It is wholly incorrect to think that RCDs will protect you.

Consider someone immersed in a plastic bath, with plastic drain, and not touching taps (or taps have plastic pipes), and a Class II product is dropped in the bath.

There is NO ‘residual current’. The OCPD will operate, but it is likely the person in the bath will be seriously injured or killed before that happens, as the electricity tracks through salt straight to the person's trunk, as it's the most conductive thing in the water, to get from Line to Neutral.

As I said, no protective conductor, no alternative path other than L-N, so an RCD is wholly ineffective. This is not a theory … it was proven in an investigation after two children died in a bath in Germany after a shaver on charge from the mains fell into the water and killed them both.

I have a 230V socket outside of my own bathroom door and it’s used for hairdriers, inside the bathroom, every day and I have seen this is countless properties. 

That's quite common … also for mains powered hair clippers

Actually my own view is that its more dangerous to traipse a cable across the landing, causing a trip hazard, than it would be having the socket by the sink. 

No argument from me.

vantech: 
 

ZIn the USA I believe it’s actually required by regulation to install a socket next to the sink. 

Most of continental Europe has sockets by the sink. 

The UK is is very strict on this, but you have to wonder why and if there is actually a benefit with the use of RCDs. 

It is wholly incorrect to think that RCDs will protect you.

Consider someone immersed in a plastic bath, with plastic drain, and not touching taps (or taps have plastic pipes), and a Class II product is dropped in the bath.

There is NO ‘residual current’. The OCPD will operate, but it is likely the person in the bath will be seriously injured or killed before that happens, as the electricity tracks through salt straight to the person's trunk, as it's the most conductive thing in the water, to get from Line to Neutral.

As I said, no protective conductor, no alternative path other than L-N, so an RCD is wholly ineffective. This is not a theory … it was proven in an investigation after two children died in a bath in Germany after a shaver on charge from the mains fell into the water and killed them both.

I have a 230V socket outside of my own bathroom door and it’s used for hairdriers, inside the bathroom, every day and I have seen this is countless properties. 

That's quite common … also for mains powered hair clippers

Actually my own view is that its more dangerous to traipse a cable across the landing, causing a trip hazard, than it would be having the socket by the sink. 

No argument from me.