Plastic Socket Key to Defeat Safety Shutters in UK Socket Outlets 

I love how the description on the website selling them lists "Superior rust and corrosion resistance" for an item made completely of plastic!

I'm from Malaysia and we have loads of these. They're meant to allow type C plugs (those small 2 pronged European ones) to be plugged into regular UK type sockets, which Malaysia uses. Lots of people don't even use those plastic thingies when plugging type C plugs into sockets and instead stick a chopstick or other items down the top hole in the socket which the earth/ground prong goes in to lower the shutters so they can plug the type C plug in.

Safety socket covers arrive at my favourite charity shop I volunteer at all the time, I love stamping on them and then dumping them into the recycling where they belong!

I took this expert scientific advice seriously as I always do as a medical student. I have thus replaced all of the plug keys in my house with either proper Schuko to BS1363 fused adaptors, or Europlug converters

Forcing a 2.5A euro plug into the UK socket also bends the contacts apart making it unsafe to use with a standard UK plug afterwards.

seems like such a bizarre situation for the UAE. I wonder why their importers dont simply spec UK type plugs on their electrical stuff, which are obviously already available because of the UK market, to match the sockets they standardised on.

The problem is simply that BS1363 sockets are standard in UAE (and a surprising number of other places around the world) but there is no law requiring consumer products to be sold with the appropriate plug fitted.

John, I absolutely agree with you. Strange that this is the normal method in Dubai. In countries such as Singapore that use our 13A socket outlets and electrical hardware, appliances are fitted with proper 13A plugs. Although you can often also buy adapters for use with other plugs.

Finally, something that makes my life just a little safer when I'm trying to get an EU plug into a UK outlet. No more ramming a key into the Earth slot to open the shutters.

I think the real bad part about this item is a 32 AMP fuse being only protection, as there are no fuse in any euro plugs.

I like how they specifically call it a *Safety Plug* when it's anything but that!

Just back from a holiday in a five star hotel in Northern Cyprus. Standard UK sockets but bedside sockets had these things plugged in.

They are used in Malaysia where the sockets are the same as ours in the UK, but alot of products you buy have Chinese plugs on. Specially stuff fr on Pasa Malam products.

When people ask what the UK does better than the US: Cheese. Chocolate. Electrical outlets. No doubt, our electric plugs are the best in the world. They are strong, sturdy, safe, and very well engineered. It's something so simple, but it's something to be proud of I think. I also love the way our plugs look almost industrial grade.

I have used them in Malaysia they are handy because Thai appliances often have two round pins. UK sockets are a nightmare though at least they are a standard - when I was a kid there our house had small round two pin sockets, small round three pin sockets, large three pin round sockets, a myriad of adapters and some of those hideous three pin fused sockets.

Cromulent Electrical! Love it

KEY PLUG. For when you want to stick your car key into an electrical outlet.

I have a few of the thin "child safety plugs" at home. When I get back work I'm taking them out and throwing them away. Cheers.

Plugging a Euro plug into a BS1363 socket the UK is particularly dangerous because a BS1363 plug contains a fuse max rated at 13A and the circuit is typically a ring of 2.5mm^2 cable protected by a 32A breaker in the fuse-board. What I would like to know, as final ring circuits are AFAIK unique to the UK, is how BS1363 outlets are wired in the UAE, if for example they are on radial circuits protected by 15A breakers then it's not quite so bad. Far from ideal though, because a Europlug is a sloppy fit both electrically and mechanically

The "CE" where they're that close together is the "China Export" mark. Real "CE" marks have a wider space between the two characters.

Theoretically they could be glued to the two prong plug to get around the problem with the open contacts. 🤔

Excellent as always John. Nicely done best regards Chris.

Hi JW. Your videos are brilliant. Have you ever done one on fault finding to locate where a shared neutral is on a house that has two floors? (Ground & 1st).

Diabolical thing. A short while ago, I did an online check to see how much variability there is regarding plug tops and sockets around the world, and was shocked at some of the things I saw. Without doubt, the UK BS 1362 plug top is the best design ever; the euro type isn’t bad, but I don’t think this plug top has a fuse link. Sadly, I am old enough to remember GEC porcelain 15A 3 pin unshuttered sockets into which a child could easily insert a finger. If modern technology had been around when public supplies were first installed I reckon the supply would be DC, which might be better in more ways than one.

I used to use this every time in Singapore when I was a child. Misplacing one of these was a nightmare. I remember really hating the plug design since I wanted to connect a two prong round pin plug into the damn Singapore plugs (I later found out in 2003 that they originated from England). Never had this problem in Australia when trying to connect a two ping prong into an outlet. Only in Singapore, and other countries which uses plugs from England. Interesting to see how the British denounce these adapters for safety concerns.

Thank you John , I was not aware these even existed.

I have an orange one of these john. My tutor in college gave it to me over a decade ago. I use it for inserting my test probes. The funny thing is, he thought that is what these are for. So did I. Was he wrong? Are professional versions of these sold for the sole use of electricians?

Crazy, even somebody with limited intel can see this is rubbish. One thing I don't see or get is that people have disliked this video?? I think an explanation of WHY they dislike would be appropriate. I had a quick scan down this list of comments and didn't see any negative comments so all I can think is that it is trolls or whatever they are called. Again justified sarcasm John, great fun, you should think about becoming a standup comic !!

How did it happen? Its Dubai.

I made one of these from a child safety plug a few years ago, it's been useful!

May I be the first to say: GAAAHH!! #oO Good vid JW. I'm scared to think what ingenious death trap they'll think up next, probably an edible mains lead or something... |o.

Bizarre item for sure but I would suggest both ES and BC lamp holders with no lamp in are a safety disaster. It beggars belief they are still made.

The countries using UK sockets generally dont use the UKs 32A ring circuit ...instead they opt for the branch circuit system so fuses are not important in their plugs .....thus round pin appliances are fine to use ...lived in Singapore in the past and they were also branch , despite using UK sockets. However i know what youre getting at re: the safety aspect of it

This is good for getting Type C Europlug into the socket

these are very common here in Cyprus. UK square style sockets with 2 pin plugs on items

Hello John, I have seen European tourists smashing the sockets in Hotels trying to plug in their European 2 pin plugs for phone chargers and laptop chargers, they smash lots up. Many hotels I have seen in Glasgow and London have European round 2 pin sockets installed in the rooms as well as the standard 3 pin uk sockets.

Wow, what an excellent bit of kit, I can use this and then just shove the bare wires in to the socket, no need for a plugs with annoying fuses that keep blowing :)

I think I'll re-sell some of these on ebay as voltage converters... Use these to convert 240v to 115v for USA items in the UK.!!! Think how many I could sell... Only joking, but I'm sure there would be some out there stuffing 115v items into 240v outlets.

The long pin is plastic, it's not an earth pin and it's function is to open the shutters, so it's not too short.

Feels like step up from taking the inside out of a pen, my usual trick when travelling to the UK!

A few years ago I had a week in Germany and Austria. Came back on a late flight, so booked a hotel near the airport. I've got a euro to UK adapter that also has 2 USB sockets on it, so I took this and a USB cable to charge my phone. When I got to the hotel, phone nearly flat, I realised that I had nothing with a UK plug that would allow me to charge my phone. Ended up using my car keys in the earth and shoving the euro plug USB into one of the sockets.

Why don't they just use a shaver adapter? Those will usually take a Europlug and, often, a 2-pin US plug.

I came across the 'childproof' socket covers in LIDL and told a jobsworth on their customer service line the very same advice that you gave in this video. ie they are banned in nurseries, the NHS and other govt organisations and what the hell are they doing selling them. I even pointed out that any enterprising 3 year old was likely to get hold of one of these devices and shove them in a socket upside down thereby negating the protection of the shutters. Needless to say they completely ignored everything I said, and the next time a toddler items sales week came around they were again selling the same despicable 'safety' covers with I think a picture of a smiling (maybe grimacing in a death rictus after being electrocuted ) baby on the packet. Typical disinterest from the minimum wage telephone call centre staff who never pass on info to their masters in head office because they don't have any incentive to do so.

Can you do a video on why for instance on a klix for emergency lighting above a door why black is permanent live and brown is in the loop connection but only live neutral and earth are on the flex, basically I want to know why the loop cannot be classed as permanent live

These things are used really commonly in Malaysia,some sockets the euro pins won't bend but some will bend,I've seen worse design than the one shown in this video,and some people here are so cheap that they stick a pen or screwdriver into the earth pin and shove the euro plug in

I've always found that a euro 2 pin plug fits perfectly into a UK socket , I can't see what's wrong with this, it does advise to remove when not in use and it safer than sticking something "silly" into the socket to move the shutters.

You know you have a problem when one of these opens the lock on your front door, and your door key opens the lock cover on your socket outlet

Have you tried it in the MK sockets which require force on both sides of the shutter?

These are sold in the bbq section lol

I love your videos and how you seem to hate everything. How would you go about using a non UK plug in the UK? For travellers tourists etc...

Just noticed the name of the product O sh*t . . . . Really couldn't have come with a better name

I still dont understand why some phone manufacturers gave eu plug when clearly we use uk socket...global edition they said. Since when global is eu.

How do u open and pull the two pins before its a hole sir?

So, one can cram a Europlug in there. Also wonder if a non-polarized US plug would fit, too.

The situation has arisen because of UK influence/heritage for design and specifications and then US influence for appliances etc.

I thought we had 3 pin sockets in the 1960s and 2 pin pre 1960s

In terms of safety, how's it any different than a universal adapter? It also exposes the live wires

"Children's fingers won't fit..." Why do I get the feeling you've tested this?

Appropriate the company selling it is Oshtraco, which can anagram to Trashcoo, which this is. 🗑

You shouldn't call it an inappropriate plug. You should say, not supported. If it works then it's appropriate enough. Ha ! An outlet made by a committee.

This really is something that should not exist. I did not know about the ban. They should just outright ban them.

Does the MK triple shutter system protect against this device? Looks like it might and an interesting demo of the advantages of that type of design

I don't understand the suggestion of installing a two pin socket instead of using the kid-killer toy, surely installing a two-pin socket is even /more/ dangerous? The 2-pin sockets I've seen have no finger-guard of any sort, so they're permanently lethal to any random prodder who happens by. On the other hand, at least this dodgy contraption /can/ be removed after whichever bodger has finished with whichever device s/he couldn't be bothered fitting with a UK plug..

the only time I'd consider using something like this is gluing it to the plug as a stopgap until able to get the correct plug

Hahaha lol, I want one of these despicable things! I hope you destroyed it after shooting the video :-)

Surely a shaver adapter is just as dangerous, doesn't that do exactly the same thing?

does it get by the mk system that does not use the earth pin on its shutters?

How is this any more dangerous than a UK -> EU or a UK -> USA adapter?

Found out about these on 4chan yesterday and then a video pops up coincidence maybe

Do all your appliances in the UK have a 3pin plug? Do you not have or allow double insulated appliances with just active and neutral ?

Natural selection in action.

Why not buy an adapter plug?

Just use a vde screwdriver to open the shutters an plug in a 2 pin EU plug. Works when you forget your travel adapter and the hotel doesn't have one.

2:39 . . Is that the same as shoehorning your body into a coffin???

I would just use a multimeter probe to defeat the earth pin

The website market them as safety plug lol

CE = Caveat Emptor = buyer BEWARE Cromulant is a word that means...lowercase ok.

MK cleverly designed a shutter that required not just an earth pin to be present but also the live and neutral pins or the shutter wouldn't open. This device is cleverly designed to defeat the clever MK design. Full marks! Now, if the manufacturers could make sure that these devices are sold only to very stupid people, everything will be fine. I love a Darwin Awards ceremony.

Good one as usual - just to clarify CE actually resolves to - Conformité Européenne and is applied to products destined to be sold within the EEA - European economic area - Wiki P extends this thus - " CE marking is a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area. The CE marking is also found on products sold outside the EEA that are manufactured in, or designed to be sold in, the EEA " - so Brexit aside ......

If you're going to buy this, just buy an adaptor

I am outside the UK right now in a Caribbean country where the UK outlets are standard. In fact this country follows BS7671. As you mentioned some appliances do not have 3 pins here. That device is better than the options here. I have seem natch sticks stuck in to open the outlets. Really though to make plugs purely to stop children from pushing items in is dumb. All over the world children seem to be surviving with outlets that do not have this "protection".

It is for furan

Less dangerous than a deathdapter?

Why is this any more dangerous that a regular unfused 3 pin to euro adapter which are sold everywhere? The Euro safety sockets have similar shutters but as there is no earth pin they work by having to push live and neutral in at the same time. Yet most adapters sold in the UK do not have these. I have some appliances with Euro plugs and I have eventually found adapters with a 13A fuse and the Euro safety shutters.

Cheap way to plug EU plugs with sleeved pins :S These EU plugs may break if force are applied. is it acceptable to use an UK male plug to a type F extension multiple outlet? Edit. The only utility of this plastic defeaters is to expose the contacs for voltage testers such as uni-t ut15c ut18c or an NCV

The real problem is government run amok.

Why can't the British just use Schuko sockets and plugs like everyone else? :-)

Terrible! An affront to the EU Nanny State! Certainly no human could survive using this product - Oh, the humanity!

Given the shields on plug sockets, you’ve got to wonder why most have switches on them.

remove the plug, just twist the wires to the prong. no adaptator needing!

it's an ingenious invention.

CE= CHINESE EXCREMENT

This abomination looks like some of those stupid covers - maybe it's a "reghastlyment" of one.

What a load of nonsense. People please use your common sense. These thing are designed for visitors to the uk so they can plug their phone and laptop charger into a socket in there hotel room. The same as we have a three pin to two pin adapter so we can plug our laptop and phone in when we visit Europe or the USA. The two pin prongs that go into the line and Neutral are so the two pin plugs are seated and connected correctly. Yes there is a European adapter which is the reverse of our adapter iE we have three pin to two pin Europe’s are two pin to three pin they are a better choice, this thing is simply a cheaper alternative. The only problem I see is some one uses it to plug there electric shaver in to a 13amp socket in there bedroom . But is that any more dangerous than us using a n adapter in Europe?no I don’t think so, the only real problem is people leaving this thing were a child could get hold of it and plug it in. I had three adapters one for Europe one for Europe to uk and one for the USA/caneda, and in over thirty years I have never had any problems wile using any of them. Infact I would be more concerned with those adapters which a single adapter but can’t take three or four different types of plug in one they accept round two pin square two pin Australian and American and the uk BS1363 .

A simple adaptor to convert the UK 3-pin socket to the EURO 2-pin. Another step towards European unity...(cue Beethoven).

ok sure these are pointless for uk RESIDENTS but what about eu visitors? devices like this simply solve the only problem remaining in industrialized nations: too many goddamn standard plug types! obviously for uk residents and purchases these should never be needed but "deathdapters" (thanks bigclivedotcom) are still relevant until a worldwide electrical system can be agreed upon so for those of you who are truly assholes about safety (and not just sounding high and mighty like jw)think about how 30a at 240v is WAY WORSE than 30a at 120v for cheap shit plugged into the wall as being half voltage most devices that fail do so in less dangerous manners(bangs don't get so big, I blew up a 30a glass fuse on 120v SC and it was DEFINITELY less dangerous than 240v would have been) simply put unless you travel please destroy those deathdapters as normal people should NEVER own them

What really puzzles me is why the UK socket would be adopted anywhere else, it's so specific in its purpose in terms of the system it is meant to support that it just doesn't make sense to pick it for your electrical socket. And because someone settled on it seemingly at random the customer is stuck with a stupid situation where he is vended product with a normal plug he has to now somehow connect to a moon-socket while retaining something like safety. I'm not surprised the goods are not vended with the UK plug, the UK plug is basically a heavy appliance plug, on a par with what you might use to plug in a large welder or some similar piece of industrial apparatus. Therefor it is more expensive, and its unique feature of the fuse in the plug doesn't even get to come into play. Depending on how the property was wired it could even induce hazards of its own if he who wired it expected the BS1363 standard's unique qualities would be adhered to and put to use, a situation could arise where a lot of amperage was available to create a short circuit of concerning power in some device wired more flimsily because its designers didn't think it would ever be plugged in to such a socket and without a fuse in the plug to protect the cable, it could end up with more than double the amps it was rated for on hand for whatever chaos may arise. A long time ago I was given two proper adapters for BS1363 to "normal" plugs, they both contain a fuse of appropriate amperage.

KS = Killer Shock?

In Australia for some stupid reason we don't have the shutters on our sockets, we also don't have fuses in the plugs, another great idea. One day my father caught me just about to insert a piece of wire into the socket. I have never heard him yell so loud. It scared the life out of me. It prevented me from ever even thinking about doing it again. The next day he went and bought some special plugs that prevented anything from being insert into the socket. They even had to be removed to insert a plug. It don't know why but I haven't seen those plugs around for years. Anyone who has one of the plugs that John just showed is an expletive moron.

More dangerous Junk lol..