When attempting to connect anything to the electrical supply how important is the earth wire?
I have seen in some appliances ie table lamps that there is not an earth wire so what job does the earth wire perform and why is it on some electrical items and not others? If you accidentally forgot to connect the earth wire in a plug/socket what risk(s) are you running

David B, March 2009

The risk you run by not connecting Earth is DEATH.

Some appliances are double insulated - no external parts can possibly become live so they have only two wires in the cable.

If there's an earth wire or terminal it should always be connected.

My Brother in Law borrowed a metal lead-light that should have been earthed but wasn't. He went up into a loft with the working but faulty light and touched the water pipes and was electrocuted dead. The casing of the lamp was live but he couldn't tell until he touched earth.

Peccavi, March 2009