Dave, they are called RCDs this side, not sure what the French call them though. They are normally on the mains input on the distribution board and operate at 30ma if I remember correctly?
The only place that I recall that uses split 240 down to 120 are in the coal mines and neutral becames the centre tap to create the lower voltages at the socket. The only other places are construction sites. Here in France the construction sites are all 235v and they give you a very funny look if you try to buy a 115/120v transformer or the low volt mains tools! I once saw a bloke working on the lock gate on the Canal du Midi. He had an angle grinder, mains. He was stood ankle deep in water and the disk was touching the water. I had one look and walked away!
Mind you, the French have a special attitude towards work safety? This bloke is a pro tree surgeon and was taking 2 largish pines down by our swimming pool.
He was 10' up a ladder when I took that photo! Left hand holding a branch and the chain saw about a foot from his throat. I legged it into my workshop and did something noisy after taking that photo so that I wouldn't hear the scream! He survived that one I'm glad to say or it would have been a complete pool water change to get rid of the blood!
I too feel sorry for the family Rod, but how can you take anyone like that seriously?
When I was a Boy Entrant, 16 1/2 years old, in the R.A.F. doing my aircraft electrical training one of the things we had to learn was how to check piston engine ignition harneses. We used a 'magneto box', an engine ignition magneto in a box with a handle and a dial on the face. One wire was connected to the harness inner cable and one to the earth braid. You always connected the braid last or you had to hold the clip of the other cable and the braid to connect it to the inner. I got it wrong once and a joker spun the handle! It threw me across the room about 6 foot. I nearly killed the idiot, but I never got it wrong again!