cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/28693796
Check the comments of the original post for the stupidity.
For those of you without an electrical background, the diagram shows the protective earth connected directly to phase, with phase and neutral also joined.
Correctly wired, this would be a three pin plug, with the earth wire connected to the earth pin in the plug, with the other end connected to the metal casing of the appliance. This is a critical safety feature, which will cause the circuit protection to trip in the event a phase wire contacts the metal of whatever this is connected to.
If this was actually done, the most likely outcome is it would trip a circuit breaker, but if the neutral was broken, it would connect phase directly to the casing, and likely electrocute someone.
In fact it was compulsory in Britain until the 1980s/90s. I’m not sure exactly when it changed, but the reason was due to different electricity companies having different sockets (and therefore plugs). It was standardised way before then, but I guess if that’s the way it has always been done nobody thinks of changing it.
My oldest (15) was just taught how to wire a plug at her high school. We’re in the UK. I don’t think I was (90s), but my dad will had shown me and I don’t remember not knowing.