electrical safety and children

The specific tips to ensure electrical safety in and around your home depend on your children’s ages.  If we’re talking about toddlers and very children, the responsibility falls on the guardians to ensure their safety - things like putting covers on electrical outlets, ensuring there are no exposed wires or accessible tangled cables, and unplugging or hiding unused small appliances that are within reach of the child.

When your child is older, some of the onus of electrical safety falls on them.  Here are some things you should teach them when they are old enough to follow instructions:

• Keep your fingers out of outlet holes.  There’s no reason why little fingers or big ones for that matter should reach into the electrical socket.
• Cords and plugs of appliances should be kept at a reasonably safe distance from water.  Think hair dryers or small kitchen appliances.
• When unplugging a plug, never pull from the cord.  Always pull from the base or bulb of the plug.
• Never stick a metal utensil inside a plugged toaster.
• Power lines and poles: never climb on a power pole, do not fly a kite near power lines, do not put yourself in any situation where you will have contact with power lines, directly or indirectly.
• Obey and respect warning signs of all kinds, not just limited to metal transformer boxes.

With some coaching and reminders, children will quickly get the idea of how to maintain their electrical safety.  You, as their guardian, will be responsible not only for providing a safe environment, free from electrical hazards, but to educate them on basic electrical DOs and DON’Ts at home and beyond.  You should also consult with a licensed electrical contractor if something in your home requires a repair and not attempt the fix yourself.