Sharing 5 ways to keep children safe from electrical injury in the home because prevention is the best way to avoid injury. We all want our homes to be an electrical safe-zone for kids throughout their childhood. Because electrical safety has different milestones: moving babies, curious toddlers, little kids who think they are big enough, and teens who charge all the things. Here are 5 ways to keep children safe from electrical injury in the home which might make your life a little easier…
5 ways to keep children safe from electrical injury in the home
The majority of Ontarians say they have been shocked. And although people may brush off a little zap from a toaster or a buzz from an outlet, research shows that even low-voltage shocks can have serious long-term after effects. The reality is that all shocks are preventable.
- Small kids often want to explore new things by putting them in their mouths. Keep cords away from little hands and mouths.
- Install tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles to protect younger children from shocks. They have shutters that cover the plug slots and help prevent little fingers or objects from going into the outlet. I still have “baby plugs” on my unused outlets…because you never know when a friend with a baby might drop by.
- For children under 15 years old, the majority of electrical injuries happen at home. Prevent small fingers and hands from getting shocked or burned by replacing frayed cords, replacing missing or broken outlet covers and keeping little hands from plugging and unplugging things until they are old enough to understand the dangers.
- Teach older children how to plug in and unplug safely. When it’s time to unplug, don’t yank cords from the wall. This can damage the appliance, the cord and the outlet.
- Water and electricity can be a lethal mix. Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)—the ones with the reset button—in any room with water (ie. bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms) to help protect from a shock.
For more information visit: www.esasafe.com/nosafeshock
GIVEAWAY!
Note: the following giveaway is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.
Share how you keep your kids safe for a chance to win a $50 home improvement store gift card! You can use the gift card for replacing cords and buying outlet covers, as explained in this post, to ensure your home is electrically safe.
Enter via the form below.
Disclosure: This post is in partnership with the Electrical Safety Authority.
Check electrical cords for damage or fraying. If a cord is frayed, replace it. Tape doesn’t protect from shock.
I have always kept my son informed about electric items and how powerful they are!
Make sure outlets are pluged with stoppers and loose cords are wrapped up.
I used stoppers for electric outlets.
I educate them about any potential dangers from dealing with electrical outlets, appliances etc.
to educate that cords, electricity and water don’t mix — to be careful with blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons, in the bathroom.
I have always kept my son informed about the dangerous of electric items
I use the stoppers for the plugs and also tell the children the dangers of electricity.
I always kept my children well informed about the danger of electricity and I used stoppers for electric outlets.
We use tamper resistant receptacles in our home to keep little fingers safe!
We use stoppers on all the plugs and spend time educating the children about the dangers of electricity and how to be respectful of its power.
I make sure all electrical outlets have safety plugs in them, an cords are always kept behind shelves/ appliances and teach them it nothing to play with
we use outlet covers on all the outlets, we never leave cords out or any appliances or tools that plug in
Using child proof outlet caps to keep the kids safe!
We have covers for our outlets and keep all our cords tucked out of the way!
We keep outlets covered and cords hidden away from the little ones. As the kids get older we teach them how to plug in and unplug properly.
We always used the stoppers for the outlets and were very carefully if we used an extension cord
I use plugs in the outlets that are not use. We also use surge protector and safe cords.
we use surge protectors, and as much as possible tend to block outlets with furniture. We also educate our kids about the dangers of electric shocks.
we use the plug stoppers, but also started at a very early age letting the kids know what is not to be played with and the reasons why…..we want to keep them around forever!!
We have surge protectors at home and we often remind our kids not to go near or touch any of the power outlet since it will be dangerous
We put plug covers in outlets we are not using and keep wires as neat as possible and ensure that the wires are intact.
We use child-proof covers on the outlets, and try to make sure cords are bundled out of the way.
Keep plugs covered, keep wires hidden or tapped to the wall.
We keep wires behind furniture/taped to the wall, cover electrical sockets, use power bars and teach our kids about being careful around plugs and wires.
cover electrical sockets
Educate children early about the dangers of sticking anything into an outlet. Always use outlet covers. Check cords for fraying or other damage, Do not overload electrical cords/outlets. Make sure hair dryers, curling irons or radios are not near water in a bathroom. When I was 2, a little boy my age stuck a fork into an outlet and was electrocuted. My parents were extra careful with anything electrical.
I love those safety kits you can get in baby sections of stores. Plugs for the plugs in etc. I also am very careful in the kitchen using those appliances and having the cord hang down. Too easy for little hands to grab & pull 🙁
We use outlet covers on all the outlets, and never leave cords out for little hands to reach!
i talk to my kids and let them know the dangers and I have the covers on the outlets
We have used those little finger blocking covers and tried to teach them about the dangers.
I hadn’t realized that no shocks are safe, even those little ones. I plan on getting a humidifier so our house isn’t so dry in winter.
I use PROPER power bars.
I make sure outlets are covered and cords are out of reach so kids can’t get at them
Keep cords tied up and out of reach and plugs covered!
We use stoppers on outlets and nothing with cords is allowed in the bathroom.
We use stoppers on the outlets
Make sure outlets are pluged with stoppers
Don’t use extension cords and keep outlets covered.
Keeping plugs covered
I keep cords out of their reach and block all the outlets!
When my daughters were little I always made sure that the outlets were blocked and always talked to them about the dangers.
In our home we use stoppers for electric outlets.
We used stoppers for the outlets and make sure cords are out of the way.
We used child safety covers for all our outlets. We also kept our visible cords to a minimum, watched our children closely and educated them when they were old enough on the dangers.
We made sure we bought those kits where you put the plastic things into the plugs.
When my kids were young I had child-proof covers on all electrical outlets, cords were hidden wherever possible. As they got older I then taught them of the dangers of electricity. This obviously didn’t happen with one of my son-in-laws as my daughter caught him fishing around in the toaster with a fork!
if my son wants something plugged in we will air with him and show him how to properly do it
I unplug any small appliance cords that my baby can reach.
Do not pull plugs out of the sockets using the cord!
When my kids were little I used covers on all my outlets and mow with grandkids I am useing them again.
We use plug covers and keep cords up out of reach of little hands.
When my kids were younger I kept plug covers on the outlets and I tried to keep the electrical cords our of their reach.
We explain what electricity does whenever we pass a power box.
We use stoppers in outlets close to the ground and make sure everyone is aware of the dangers of electricity.
we cover the electrical outlets
Keep cords and plugs covered and teach them early that they do not touch!
I keep the cords hid behind the tv and tables so the young ones can’t get them.
We use plug covers and keep cords up out of reach of little hands and “paws” 🙂
We try to make sure our kids understand how dangerous electricity is and keep our electrical items in safe condition.
We have babyproofing plugs in all our empty sockets, and we use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters in our bathrooms. My older daughter has been shown how to plug and unplug safely.
I think the best way to protect your kids is to educate them! There isn’t always going to be safety measures in place – let them know how to be safe, everywhere!
I have coverings over the electrical outlets.
We use stoppers in all plugs and cover electrical outlets!
Childproof the outlets with stoppers and keep chords out of reach
We have covers on all electrical outlets.
We have little outlet covers and we keep the cords out of the way and together.
Electricity is just as dangerous as fire – more so, in my opinion. There are so many opportunities for children to get into electrical emergencies. They need to understand the dangers of electricity as much s fire.
So I have a confession. Electrical injury is something that scares the daylights out of me!
When our daughter was a toddler we had plug covers, & kept the cords tied up. We continuously check and ensure all of our cords and plugs are in good condition before plugging into the sockets.
These are such important tips. I really like the idea of just keeping the outlet covers all the time – whether you currently have little ones or not.
We use outlet covers for all the electrical outlets in our home.
We try to keep electrical covers on our outlets to prevent injury.
When my kids were little, I was always worried about them getting an electrical injury. Thank you for these ways to keep them safe from that happening.
We cover all electrical outlets and keep all cords away from fingers
When my Son was little I was so worried about electrical safety. These are great tips to help keep your kids safe.
When my kids were young we had outlet covers on all of the outlets. I still have to remind my son not to pull on the cord when he wants to unplug something.
Electrical safety is so important. I always have the plug protectors in even though my kids are all grown up. You never know when a friend will bring a little one over.
All our receptacles are tamper-resistant. And we do a lot of talking and explaining.
we use outlet covers
I use outlet plugs to keep little fingers out.
We have safety plugs and teach the kids about electrical safety
teach them not to touch
We had covers on all our plugs when our kids were very young! I was always worried about that! These tips are awesome I will give to my sister in law who has two young kids!
I inspect the outlets regularly and have taught my kids to stay away from it.
Great tips! You can never be too safe when it comes to outlets and the safety of the kids.
When our kids were babies we had those socket covers throughout our house. I bet parents raising little ones now will find your safety tips handy.
Awesome tips! I always use plug stoppers when my kids were small. And I never let them off my sight.
when my son was little we only had stoppers. They hadn’t come out with anything else yet. I’d like to know what the long term effects are
We had stoppers when our kids were little. I make them aware of the dangers of electricity, especially near water. I was mildly electrocuted as a kid when a chord went across a minor flood in our apartment.
We use electrical covers, keep cords as short as possible and watch the little ones like hawks. When old enough, teach them about electrical safety.
My husband is an electrician and I have also worked in the electrical industry, so from day one we have taught our daughter about electrical safety. She know’s the proper way to plug and unplug something, never touches outlets or anything electrical without asking first. The biggest tip is for parents, to always have proper covers on switches and outlets, and leave electrical work to electricians!
Thank you for posting this! even with older kids it’s easy to get complacent.
Plug stoppers, cords tied, and EDUCATION
Great list! My husband was an electrician and was always about educating everyone about safety.
keep our kids safe
I think putting the covers in the outlets is a great idea.
Use electrical covers and don’t leave loose cords dragging around
We have safety plugs
I always make sure that electrical cords are stored/displayed compactly so that they are not easily accessible to curious little mouths or hands.
I have the stoppers that plug into the outlets, like you mentioned in your post 🙂
We make sure that cords run along walls and not in traffic areas so they don’t create trip hazards.
I taught them from a young age not to touch outlets or wires! And when they were very young i kept all the outlets covered.
Or update your recepticals to tamper resistant models, they have stoppers built in.
We have stoppers for all of our plugs which does help!
By not having any! :p
Our baby boy is on the move now so we keep electrical outlets plugged so he can’t stick anything in them.
We use the safety clips to put in the electrical outlets and make sure that outlets are not obvious by putting furniture, plants, etc. in front of them. Thanks for the super giveaway opportunity.
Install tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles to protect younger children from shocks
Plugs for outlets are number one for prevention
We have plugs for our outlets as kids love to stick things into the holes. I have caught one of my little ones trying to remove one. Thankfully they are quite hard to remove
I inspect our electrical regularly.
We have installed special covers on all outlets. You have to slide the cover over to access the outlet.
We always had socket covers, and tried to keep the outlets hidden behind furniture, plants, etc.
We keep all plugs protected with a safety cover
I always try and keep the outlets behind furniture so the kids don’t see them otherwise I use safety plugs.
Keep all unused outlets filled with an outlet protector
I keep all outlets covered with protectors!
We covered all outlets with safety plugs.
Safety covers!!
we use the plug covers
i always had the plugs covered
We used outlet covers and we don’t overload the outlets with too many appliances or devices.
Now that they are older and plugging and unplugging things themselves, we talk about how to properly pull out cords.
No cracked cords. We also explain the dangers of electronics, especially why they aren’t in or allowed in the bathrooms.
I’ve preached to my children since they were young about electrical safety, I’ve got them really careful around plugs and they always unplug things from the plug not the cord.
I always get a professional to do all the electric work so I know our home is safe. Always teach kids not play with outlets and don’t pull the cords
We’ve been lucky as my youngest has autism and is obsessed with plugging things in. We have to hide cords and keep an eye on him. He doesn’t understand the danger.
We use electrical covers and we make sure the power bars and cords are tidy and out of the way.
We use child-proof covers on the outlets
Covers on all plugs and remove long cords
I use stoppers for electric outlets and keep all cords out of reach.
we use plugs for all the outlets, keep cords tucked away and i always taught them not to play near the plugs or to stick anything in them
I educate the kids on the dangers of electricity and I use the plugs in the outlets
We make sure electrical and extension cords are safe – not worn out or frayed, not in places where they get walked on or tripped over, etc.
I have taught my son about the safety of electrical plugs. I always had covers over them when he was smaller and regularly check cords to make sure they are safe.
Make sure outlets are pluged with the safety plugs and when there is a fray wire we throw it out
We have the outlets protected and no extension cords!
We keep the non essential electricals disconnected at the panels
My kids are older now so outlets aren’t much of an issue. Our latest discussion has been about checking cables to make sure they are not frayed or damaged and also using electronics near water.
i always talk to my children about the dangers of out;lets
We use outlet covers
We definitely discuss the dangers of outlets with our three girls and try hard to ensure their safety by putting covers on!
I made sure that the electrical outlets that were not in use were covered. No way she could put anything into it.
I make sure they use the plug to unplug the item instead of the cord.
We make sure nothing is left plugged in where little hands can reach! Along with the danger of electric shock, little ones can use cords to pull heavy items down on themselves and cause injury.
We have all our wires covered and protected. We also have protection on our outlets.
All plugs were covered with plug covers, no loose wires,
We use stoppers for the plugs, and also educate on the whys and dangers of electricity, as well as teach by example.
Always use the safety plugs :)!
We try to keep all wires out of reach and electronics out of the bathrooms. We don’t have safety plugs in yet, but i did pick up a set to do that to.
– Amber Y
using outlet covers for all the electrical outlets; checking electrical cords on a routine basis for fraying etc. thanks
All of my electrical outlets have those little plastic covers in them. 🙂
My husband works with electrical and has always shown my son how to be safe, about grounding and conduction. Cords are tucked away, making sure the cat doesn’t chew on them and teaching our son to call an adult when he’s unsure if somethings safe.
My youngest is 4 and I still use a cover on outlets as a precaution
Always use covers
We don’t have kids but we tuck cords out of the way because we have pets & when we have little visitors there are a few things we move around.
We had stoppers, but have explained the dangers all along and I also keep track of cord condition.
Make sure outlets are pluged with stoppers!!
THROUGH EDUCATION, REALLY WATCHING OVER YOUR CHILD AND TEACHING THEM WHAT NOT TO DO IS WHAT I TRY
the same
We make sure there’s nothing for little fingers to get into.
By keeping cords out of reach.
We have put covers on all the electrical outlets and hooks on the cabinet doors
We put covers over all the empty outlets.
Block outlets with furniture or stoppers!
We put covers up when he was little.
I make sure to use safety seals on the outlets
Our landlord installed electrical outlets that have built in safety plugs. We also talk to the kids about how dangerous electricity can be and how to be safe around electrical cords.
These are great tips!
Always important to keep a safe environment and prevent injury.
Thank you for this.
Thank you for this! This has been really helpful and it has been very informative. It has always been important to keep a safe environment to prevent injury especially if you have kids. Thanks again for sharing this!