Most European countries require RCDs (GFCIs) on all socket outlet circuits, regardless of where they're located. We've required them since the 1970s in Ireland and the UK introduced a mandatory RCDs more recently in the last revision of their wiring regs.
However, in most cases in Europe a laundry appliance would be both grounded and RCD / GFCI protected.
Also, grounding in the Irish and British context anyway has always been extremely reliable and omnipresent. The installation of non grounded outlets stopped before WWII. So all outlets have a ground (and safety shutters) etc
The huge risk in a bathroom with an appliance is that you are likely to be standing in a very well grounded area with wet feet and often with ion containing soaps and products in the water. 120V or 230V in that context are both potentially lethal.
Incidentally, in this part of the the world anyway, the incident of death by electric shock in residential contexts is EXTREMELY low. It's far more likely you'd be struck by lightning than killed by residential wiring or appliances.
Where electrocution happens here tends to be where people accidentally make contact with overhead lines in construction work and also farm accidents. Again, rare but much, much more common than residential fatal shocks.
The universal use is RCDs (GFCIs) and the very conservative wiring rules are why that's the case, and especially the 100% availability of earthing.
In my home all of the appliances, even ovens are RCD / GFCI protected. Each major hardwired appliance is on a RCBO (combined breaker and GFCI module), so are the laundry appliances and fridges, dishwasher etc. The rest of the outlets share one RCD per row of breakers.
Also the bathroom lighting, fans etc, all the outdoor lighting, heating system - pumps, boiler, timers, controllers and the electric water heating etc are all RCD protected due to being in contact with plumbing.
All pipework is also connected to ground and bonded with cross bonding connections.
The ground is TN-C-S, meaning the house has local ground rods and the local ground is also connected to the supply neutral which is grounded at regular intervals all the way back to the transformer. This ensures there's always a very solid ground connection and instant tripping of anything that shorts to ground, as it will get very little resistance and will trip RCDs or even breakers and fuses without any delay.
Statistically 230V systems don't seem to be causing any extra fatalities compared to 120V. It's mostly about good design and safety systems though.
However, in most cases in Europe a laundry appliance would be both grounded and RCD / GFCI protected.
Also, grounding in the Irish and British context anyway has always been extremely reliable and omnipresent. The installation of non grounded outlets stopped before WWII. So all outlets have a ground (and safety shutters) etc
The huge risk in a bathroom with an appliance is that you are likely to be standing in a very well grounded area with wet feet and often with ion containing soaps and products in the water. 120V or 230V in that context are both potentially lethal.
Incidentally, in this part of the the world anyway, the incident of death by electric shock in residential contexts is EXTREMELY low. It's far more likely you'd be struck by lightning than killed by residential wiring or appliances.
Where electrocution happens here tends to be where people accidentally make contact with overhead lines in construction work and also farm accidents. Again, rare but much, much more common than residential fatal shocks.
The universal use is RCDs (GFCIs) and the very conservative wiring rules are why that's the case, and especially the 100% availability of earthing.
In my home all of the appliances, even ovens are RCD / GFCI protected. Each major hardwired appliance is on a RCBO (combined breaker and GFCI module), so are the laundry appliances and fridges, dishwasher etc. The rest of the outlets share one RCD per row of breakers.
Also the bathroom lighting, fans etc, all the outdoor lighting, heating system - pumps, boiler, timers, controllers and the electric water heating etc are all RCD protected due to being in contact with plumbing.
All pipework is also connected to ground and bonded with cross bonding connections.
The ground is TN-C-S, meaning the house has local ground rods and the local ground is also connected to the supply neutral which is grounded at regular intervals all the way back to the transformer. This ensures there's always a very solid ground connection and instant tripping of anything that shorts to ground, as it will get very little resistance and will trip RCDs or even breakers and fuses without any delay.
Statistically 230V systems don't seem to be causing any extra fatalities compared to 120V. It's mostly about good design and safety systems though.
