Electrical Safety Tips For The Children In Your Home

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Although electricity is part of our daily lives, we forget that electricity can sometimes be hazardous. Even in your own home, electrical wiring can pose a serious risk to your family, especially your children. If you are not careful in maintaining and safely installing electrical wiring and panels, you are increasing the risk of electrical hazards in your home.

Unfortunately, hundreds of people are electrocuted each year due to hazardous electrical installations and lack of maintenance – here are some tips to help avoid this happening in your home

Why is Electricity Dangerous to Children? 

Young children are more at risk of electrocution in hazardous situations, compared to adults. This is because they don’t understand the dangers of electricity, as well as their inquisitive minds. They are always exploring, especially in their own homes. It is not uncommon to find a toddler attempting to stick their fingers into the socket – children want to explore anything and everything, and are also likely to pull at plugs and/or electrical wiring that they find on the floor.

Electrical Safety Tips for Your Children at Home

At Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric, we advise you to practice electrical safety in your home – take a look at these tips and educate yourself about keeping your home safe:

Make Sure That All of The Electrical Connections in Your Home Are Stable

Children can easily pull on wiring or knock over appliances, putting themselves in a dangerous situation. To reduce the risk to your children, make sure that your wiring is attached to the wall and not hanging. You can also install tamper proof receptacles/outlets – these devices stop an electric current from flowing through an outlet, unless all slots are activated at the same time.  

Cover Any Open Electrical Outlets with Socket Covers

This is to prevent any inquisitive fingers from getting in there! You can use a socket cover or use the furniture to make it inaccessible.

Look Out for Any Electrical Warning Signs in The Home

Look around your home for electrical warning signs, such as frayed or damaged wiring or unstable electrical panels. If you hear buzzing near electrical sources in the home, it’s a sign that something is unstable. Other things to look out for can be flickering lights, sockets that work intermittently/appear loose, and sparks or burning smells.

Arrange to Have an Electrical Inspection

This will determine if you have any potentially hazardous areas in your home, as well as the best course of action on how to prevent and remove these hazards. When it comes to your children, safety always comes first. You can contact Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric to arrange

for a thorough electrical inspection by one of our experienced licensed technicians.

Put All Electrical Appliances Out of Reach and Away from Any Water Sources

Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Make sure that there are no appliances in the bathroom and remove any appliances that can be within children’s reach in the kitchen. The harder it is to get to them, the less likely they will be able to use them!

Teach Your Children How to Be Safe Around Electricity

Talk to your children about the dangers of electricity and explain why it’s dangerous, and what they can do to avoid the dangers. Here are some “dos and don’ts” that you can teach them:

1. Never poke your fingers or stick objects into a socket.
2. Keep metal objects out of toasters, such as a knife and fork.
3. Never use electrical appliances around water.
4. Stay away from substations, poles and power lines.
5. Obey the warning signs of electrical dangers.
6. Ask an adult for help when you need to use something that involves using electricity.
7. Do not plug in many appliances into one socket or extension wire. It can cause a spark, which can cause a fire in your home!
8. Do not yank or pull out electrical wiring from the socket. You need to pull out the wiring by the plug instead, otherwise you might damage the appliance, the plug or the socket.

If you have any more questions, or if you are in need of an electrical inspection or service, contact Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric. We offer a wide range of electrical services.