If it looks like an MCB …..

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

When I was working in China there was an incident in the factory when 3 electricians were electrocuted. They had been working on installing a production line and someone had managed to drop a live 11kV cable which touched a part of the track. It didn't really bother anyone, although the smell of burnt flesh lingered in the area for a few days. Seems to me that H&S is way down their priority list, probably as one cynic commented "they have 1.4 billion chances of getting it wrong"

If they don't care for their own people what makes you think they will care about some old guy in his shed!

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

"Seems to me that H&S is way down their priority list, probably as one cynic commented "they have 1.4 billion chances of getting it wrong""

Don't forget O/R when Britain was the workshop of the world, long time before HSE were originated and little boys were stuffed up chimneys.

Profit far exceeded the necessity of safety, only the country of origin has changed.

Regards Ian.

[John ReeseParticipant @johnreese12848]

SOD,

That junk is being made i China for export. The Chinese would not us the junk.

[Anthony KendallParticipant @anthonykendall53479]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 02/02/2021 11:26:55:.

Snip….
Of course the chance of getting a punk product is higher if it's bought cheap from an unreliable source, or if you set up a website to expose them and people send in examples! Being sold rubbish has always been a problem and always will be. Caveat Emptor has been good advice for over 2000 years… Dave

A great deal of truth in that.
You are unlikely to buy one of the MCBs in question from RS or Farnell. You will pay more but, at my age, I should realise by now, you get what you pay for (mostly!).
This applies to my thermostat really.

I have a bigger problem with buying software driven stuff – you only find out what it really does, after you get it, and it's no good asking – I think I am just an old git asking awkward questions, talking to a pimply-faced youth with shallow knowledge – but that's another story.

Edited By Anthony Kendall on 07/02/2021 11:12:05

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Circlip –

You've overlooked that the failings and wrongs you mention – including child labour – are undeniable but triggered campaigns in the 19C that laid the foundations for the employment and equipment safety standards and regulations we have now.

Concern for safety and welfare are not new though. Georgius Agricola's De Re Metallica treatise on ore prospecting, mining and processing has a comprehensive chapter to health and safety. And he wrote that in the 16C. The problem of course was that not enough mine-owners and overseers read his book and acted on his advice; and too many owners whether rich venture-capitalists or one-man / family concerns, were more worried about sales than safety.

However, we can't put all the blame on the business owners. The awful accident rate in building the Forth Bridge led to Questions in Parliament, and investigation revealed the contractors' safety instructions were all too frequently ignored or infringed by the steel-erectors themselves.

'

The incident in China that Oily Rag describes seems far more a result of poor practice than faulty equipment. Live 11kV cables installed correctly in the first place and left undisturbed, don't fall of their own accord.

'

BTW… China or Taiwan? There is the People's Republic of China, and there is Taiwan. Although the PCR insists the island is its own property, Taiwan is an independent country; a very sensitive matter in both nations. I think most of our equipment is Taiwanese-, not PCR-, made.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

What makes you think RS or Farnell check what they buy, other than whats written on the box or spec sheet?

I worked for a telecoms company that would not allow RS components because they did not buy from the same source each time.

If you watched the video the MCB's came as part of a generator so indirectly bought.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

As part of a prodject I was involved with a large plumbing manufacturer in a new push fit plastic water fitting which would replace copper fittings. We worked on the tooling for the moulds and press tooling for the stainless steel grab washer and it took about two years to get it to approval for B.S. and was a great idea. The company who makes the parts decided to have them moulded in China and they were sent with a team ( not me ) over there after a few months and before the company had any products from them a Chinese company were selling copies almost identical just small engraving differences. The manufacturer who owned the tooling had quite a time getting them back and no longer has parts made there.

David

[Anthony KendallParticipant @anthonykendall53479]

Posted by Dave Halford on 07/02/2021 12:06:02:

What makes you think RS or Farnell check what they buy, other than whats written on the box or spec sheet?

Because I know they do!

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

I have been watching a bit of China news lately. Not being political in any way but the people are having a bad time. Just glad i am here. Holed up in the Shed.

Steve.

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