On Sat, 07 Nov 2015 16:42:20 +0000, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:

I looked this up, I'm asking the question at the top. The replies don't
seem to be able to agree. Any sensible opinions?

http://electronics.stackexchange.com...hy-are-we-not-
always-isolating-the-mains-supply

In repair & testing scenarios, we use isolation transformers to remove
the Earth reference. It prevents ground loops arising which can destroy
sensitive test equipment. But an IT won't save you from a belt if you
somehow manage to bridge directly across it.