Substandard IEC Lead

This IEC lead was purchased on a well-known internet auction site and fails on several points. The plug is the main worry: it is too narrow giving little protection against fingers contacting the (unsleeved!) pins, it has no provision for a fuse and the pins are formed from sheet brass. These features are all covered by BS1363 which defines the construction of a genuine 13 amp plug. Under test the lead has a barely-sufficient earth bond (0.09 ohms) which suggests poor construction and/or materials.

Substandard IEC lead.
Substandard IEC lead.
Failed plug
Close-up of the plug – see above for its failings.

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