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Yes, they all do. They have a couple of holes on the breaker switch itself that you fit a lockable mech to. There are a few different designs of lock. They really are a deterrant against stupidity though not malice.
Why wouldn't you trust the wife at home but I've been in situations where people do switch them back on for all kinds of weird reasons. In my experience you could tell someone, 'make sure no one switches it back on' and they will hear 'switch that back on when I leave the room'.
When we're all encouraging people to have a go at electrics it seems like a good idea to arm them with some basic safety skills. If you say something like, I think we all know how to test if a circuit is dead then lots of people are thinking, yeah, magic wand, neon screwdriver, multifunction multimeter and they are all options we can agree can work but they all have significant safety issues that can result in death.
Specifically you should use a voltage tester which is a single job tool. You should test and confirm operation before you use it to test a circuit.
I see voltage testers failing or becoming unreliable over time or when you go from cold damp environments indoors or they are subject to vibration in transport. These are quality brands but these tools are fallible.
Especially if people don't recognise a 3 plate or understand the importance of earthing a metal fitting.
I should have modified my tone a bit there, it just helps to keep reinforcing the point. There are young electricians who've lost their lives because of failing to grasp this and they have family mounting campaigns to get people to take it more seriously.
Airhead-
Yes, they all do.
Don't think my Wylex fuse wire board does...
(yes, it needs replacing but that requires sorting out the maybe asbestos panels in the garage ceiling first or any decent electrician is going to run a mile I'd hope - I assume there will be at least one circuit that needs work which means fiddling with ceilings/floors. Sorting out the ceiling panels means emptying the garage so hopefully this summer when I can dump bikes etc in the garden for a day or so but then I need to find someone else to re-board the ceiling and before long it turns into a big job and doesn't happen :( )
Specifically you should use a voltage tester which is a single job tool. You should test and confirm operation before you use it to test a circuit.
I don't think many DIYers will have a tester like that. Aren't you supposed to prove it before and after each use too which adds to the cost of something that isn't going to get a lot of use? I turn everything off rather than rely on my Maplin (RIP) special multimeter. If I was going to spend on test gear I'd rather be able to test earth continuity.
keep reinforcing the point
Yeah, I get that. I like to think I'm over the first peak of the Dunning-Kruger curve but I might be deluding myself.
There is a problem with getting an electrician in for small tasks, or more or less any trade for almost anything at the moment it seems. Everyone seems to have more work than they can handle and getting quotes etc just doesn't happen. I've got a flickering downstairs toilet light which isn't the LED bulb (swapped that) so might be either the pull cord switch contacts or a loose connection somewhere. The time and energy of getting an electrician in compared to swapping the switch means I'm likely to do that first.
On a different job we finally found someone to build a garden wall for us but he has now hurt his back and we are probably back to square one.
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This. Very well explained!
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Many moons ago I was helping demolish a stud wall with brick in-fill. I found a manky old cotton-bound wire poking up through the floor. "Nah, don't worry, it won't be live", said the bloke in charge of the works. It was. Tres tingly. I learnt never to trust a joiner when it comes to electrical stuff.
jellybaby
Nef
Brommers
I can see that being necessary in a big site where there are multiple people working but when I turn the CU off to replace a light switch or something there is zero chance my wife will turn it back on again. Do any domestic consumer units have lock off points anyway?