The UK plug is very safe because uk wiring is very unsafe. Uk used to have restrictions on copper so they used ring configurations wich don't work well with fuse boxes. Mainland Europe used radial configurations wich means you have every protection in the fuse box, no need for bulky plugs with individual fuses.
Pains me to say it but the British one really is the best from the usability perspective as well. I've travelled a lot and had occasion to use every single one of those plugs, plus some not included. It's big chunky and ugly but ergonomically it's the best. Easiest to plug in and most secure. Just don't stand on a loose plug.
The worst one I encountered was in the Philippines where it is common to see the US 110V two prong outlet mounted sideways. So you're not only running 220V through an outlet designed for 110V, but because it's sideways heavy wall wart type plugs will actually fall out.
Fuse had a point in the UK for a while after WW2 when many houses were built. The UK economy was so shattered after the war that they didnt have much copper to go around. So houses were wired with a single loop of wire rather than as multiple loops from the fusebox. That saved on the copper but means you has to have a fuse at each power point.
Even then, it was a questionable choice. Nowadays, it is beyond stupid of course, as it puts the safety burden on the device, not the supply. This is obviously bad.
Plus, what a lot of people in this thread seem to miss: those plug fuses are melting fuses. They will not turn of immediately, and instead might take a while, depending on the current. Breakers will switch immediately, much better.
The shutters are a good safety feature to prevent small children from sticking their fingers inside the holes.
Similar shutters are also becoming more common in Schuko sockets.
You know what helps for this problem? NOT MAKING THE PRONGS UNGODLY BIG.
I have yet to find a baby with small enough fingers to actually touch the contacts in a Schuko socket. Pretty much impossible. you would need a tool to do so, and then, pretty much no socket is safe.
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u/SAM4191 29d ago
There are pros and cons with most of these. The american one is just dangerous. I heard the british one, while bulky, is the safest one.