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.

​
Case Study

We recently helped a homeowner in South Walkerville with much-needed electrical installations and repairs, with a strong focus on safety and compliance. South Walkerville, one of Windsor’s historic neighbourhoods, has many homes built before the 1970s, which often means outdated wiring and electrical panels that can’t keep up with today’s demands. With Windsor’s population at about 230,000 and nearly 100,000 private dwellings, many properties in areas like South Walkerville still need upgrades to ensure they meet modern standards.

In this project, the homeowner was experiencing frequent breaker trips and unsafe outlets, some in damp areas near the basement and porch. Our team at Electricians Windsor upgraded the electrical panel, replaced faulty wiring, and installed GFCI outlets where required, ensuring everything was up to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. We also secured loose connections that posed fire risks and passed ESA inspection with no issues. The homeowner now has a safe, reliable, and future-ready electrical system that will serve them well through Windsor’s hot summers and freezing winters.


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.

---