Adults take on the responsibility of making sure a house is safe for children. There are many ways people take precautions to protect those around them from electrical dangers. Read on for ways to temporarily child-proof your home with outlet covers.
Temporary safety devices:
Of course, parents and babysitters can simply watch after children, so they do not go near electrical dangers. Life is not always as simple. Most accidents happen with adults nearby because a lot can happen in an instant.
To prevent any accidents, purchase outlet covers. You will need certain types of covers depending on the outlets you have. Last time, we discussed there are 2 different types, the standard and the decora.
If you do not have tamper resistant receptacles, outlet covers are vital to your children’s safety. Any wall outlet that does not have appliances plugged in needs a baby-proof cover. Keep in mind, even if appliances are plugged into regular electrical receptacles, children can plug them and attempt plugging the appliance back in.
Temporary baby-proofing is relatively inexpensive. However, you should consider getting tamper resistant receptacles installed as soon as possible. Call our Sanford office to get experienced electricians to make your home safe.
It is a danger and liability having regular electrical receptacles. The most basic option for temporary child-proofing is covering outlets with electrical outlet caps. This type of temporary baby-proofing is entirely made of plastic and plugs into the outlet.
The front of the outlet cap is flat so that it is extremely difficult for children to take out the cap. If your child cannot poke anything into the outlet, it makes it safe for small children. Electrical outlet caps are not permanent.
If you need to plug anything into that receptacle, you have to take off the cap. That cap is small and becomes a choking hazard once it is removed from the outlet. Also, if you do not plug the cap back in once you’re done using the outlet, there is nothing protecting children from electrocution.
Varieties of baby-proofing caps:
There are quite a few electrical outlet caps to choose from until electricians install tamper resistant receptacles. You can find individual outlet caps just about anywhere. They are extremely cost effective, but some brands can be bulkier which makes it easier for kids to remove them.
They should fit snug and not have an edge for children to grip onto. They are usually white or clear making them unnoticeable to children and help adults avoid eye sores. Good brands however rest flush on the outlet which makes it hard to remove even for adults.
This is also another reason why they are not a realistic long-term preventative. But for a few dollars, these should do the trick until permanent child-proof outlets are installed. Press-fit outlet plugs is the next choice when shopping for temporary baby-proofing caps.
Press-fit plug protectors come in an eight pack and will cost around five dollars here in the United States. These are a little more expensive than the individual caps, but that is the price you pay for convenience. They can be removed more easily by adults which makes them better for receptacles you will be using more often.
The main perk of these plugs is that press-fit plug protectors fit any GFCI. They do look a little bulkier which makes them less interior-designer approved. Overall, they are still a great option for temporary safety.
Outlet covers:
If caps still make you on edge, take a look at electrical outlet covers. These are also called safe plates. Electrical outlet covers cover the entire outlet.
To install these, you only need to remove the existing plate and replace it with the safe plate. These are one step below the permanent tamper resistant receptacles you will soon get installed. To use an outlet with the safe plate on, simply insert the prongs into the cover and slide it across.
Then, push in the plug, and it should start to work. Once you are done using the outlet, just unplug the plug and the cover will snap back into place. You do not need to touch wires while replacing the covers, but it is still dangerous whenever you are near such wires.
Next time, we would love to share ways to stop your child from unplugging wires and covers for such incidents as this is also a danger. We hope you take these temporary preventative measures and follow through with permanent solutions with the help of our electricians.
Be mindful of electrical baby-proofing before the upcoming Fourth of July holiday!
Staff Writer
