Australian mains power plug 75 years old

Have you noticed the insulation now appearing on its power carrying pins? With a report on the reason for the change and some history about the Aussie plug, here is Jim Linton VK3PC.

"Concerns about electrical safety has prompted a change to the Australian mains 3-pin power plug. Under the Australian Standard AS/NZS 3112:2000 the active and neutral pins on power plugs and plug-packs must be insulated.

This change, now being phased in will be mandatory in April. It has been introduced in response to a number of incidents including fatalities with un-insulated pins.

These incidents involved a metal object, such as a metal blind slat or other metallic material coming into contact with a plug pin that was partly removed from its energising socket.

The insulating of pins also occurs on mains power plugs in Europe and some other countries.

The Australian plug design was introduced around 1930 at the time when electricity generally became available to homes. The plug is also known as the Australasian plug because it is used in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
too.

Apparently it was copied from the design of an American plug that no longer exists, although it still survives in Argentina where different wiring polarity is used and China which mounts it with the earth pin on top.

Electrical regulators in Australia and New Zealand require all electrical equipment to be supplied with insulated pin plugs, at all points of sale, by no later than the 3rd of April.

Jim Linton VK3PC

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

Details of the Australian plug design

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