Children and Electricity

It takes only a moment for a child to poke something into a heater, pull on a cord, topple an appliance, or put something into an electrical outlet. Here are a few tips to help keep your family safe:

• Arrange your furniture so children have room to play away from heaters and other appliances
• Ensure that heavy appliances – like your TV – stand on furniture intended to take their weight.  Position them so they are stable and not likely to fall on to a child if they bump into it or climb onto it to reach something on a nearby shelf
• Always choose shuttered sockets and recessed outlets when new electrical work is being done, especially for sockets accessible to toddlers and young children
• For sockets, use plastic safety plugs in all unused power points that don't have safety shutters. Ensure safety plugs are a firm fit and impossible for little fingers to remove
• Multi-boxes or power boards should be kept out of reach, preferably on a wall bracket.  If this can’t be done, use a multi-box cover. If possible buy multi-boxes with shuttered outlets and an installed RCD
• When you finish using appliances like hair dryers, put them away so children don't play with them
• Use a short cord on your electric jugs and kettles to prevent children from pulling them down onto themselves and getting badly burned or scalded
• Keep metal objects like keys, scissors or nail files out of reach so they can't be poked into socket-outlets, heaters or other electrical outlets
• Teach your children about the dangers of electricity and demonstrate safe behaviour