On 2012-03-04, Andrew Gabriel wrote:

Tim Watts writes:
Rod Speed wrote:
Tim Streater wrote

Yes, what is it with this screw-in **** that seems to be creeping in?

Its basically a better design.

Unless you have metal casing forming the main socket screw thread, and you
use it in a country where polarity is not guaranteed - eg touching the lamp
neck (eg whilst unscrewing) gives you a shock.

This results in some electrocutions (IIRC, about 2 in the US per year).

In the USA, screw fittings are considered safer because the live
terminal is "buried" inside the holder. Everything in modern American
wiring is polarized now, so the outside threaded bit should always be
neutral. I suspect that the shocks there are all associated with
incorrect wiring (in which case, the screw fitting is worse, of
course).