Closed petition Regulate the sale of all plug-in devices intended for use in 13A sockets

Closed on 3 August 2013

The safety of UK 13 amp standard plugs and sockets is protected byThe Plugs And Sockets Regulations which require that they comply with BS1363. To supply or offer to supply a plug which is of non compliant size is a criminal offence.However, there is no similar protection to ensure that other devices sold for use with13A sockets are compliant with the size requirements of BS1363. This means that there are many devices on the UK market EG socket covers, telephone chargers and other plug like devices which are unsafe to insert into a socket, either because they have incorrectly sized pins which can damage sockets resulting in arcing thus significantly increasing the risk of fires, or do not maintain a level of protection equivalent to a standard plug or empty socket thereby increasing the risk of electric shock because the shutters of the sockets remain open.
We urge the government to extend regulation to include all plug in devices intended for use in BS1363 sockets.