I also run my workshop through an RCD - residual current device - in case any of the gear I am working on has faults. They measure the power throughput on the active line and compare it with the neutral. If there is any difference - meaning some power is going out to the workshop and not returning, for example, through you to ground - it shuts down the power in milliseconds. This can save your life. Newer houses and commercial premises may have one fitted at the switchboard.
We call them GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupt) which must be installed in kitchens and bathrooms or anywhere near water. This is to protect someone if they have water than touches the outlet. Instead of turning whatever the water is part of/in flow with, it keeps it from shocking/starting fires by tripping a circuit within the actual outlet.
Kinda nifty, because if a toaster or blender grounds itself, it trips the outlets.
Usually you will have one or two of them per wall depending on the length, and will work with up to 3-4 outlets that if the GFCI trips, it cuts off power to all outlets on it's immediate circuit that it has control over. So even if the outlet you have doesn't have the GFCI, as long as it is tied to a GGCI-Controlled outlet, it will still cut off power.
It's a cool technology out there, and in my opinion, should be everywhere in the house at least on all circuits. That way it will spare lives because of a wire in the wall should cross/arc, it will cut off all power on that outlet, possibly saving a house/building from going up in flames.
It has happened several times with the old knob-and-tube wiring, where the cloth insulator breaks down and the wires cross, maybe because of vibrations from trucks going down the street causes the wires to touch.
Also, another neat tool to have is a whole-house surge protector. We got one and over the course of 2 summer storms, it trips (cuts off power to the whole house immediately if it detects a surge) and probably saved us a lot of money. and since it's a whole house, there is like ZERO need for one in the house