Baby Safety Month: Tips To Keeping Your Child Safe From Electrical Hazards
September is baby safety month. There comes a time when parents will lock cabinets, hide dangerous items out of reach, and childproof their homes to the best of their ability. But one thing that often gets forgotten about is how you can keep your child safe from electrical hazards. In this blog, we cover a few tips to help you childproof your home’s electrical system.
1. Cover Your Outlets
A cheap and easy way to prevent your small child from sticking objects, like metal forks, in the electrical outlets is to purchase outlet caps. This helps ensure your child is safe from electric shock and won’t be in harm’s way.
2. Strap Cords Down
If you have small children, then you know just how curious they are. They love to stick their fingers in things, pull on cords, and put things in their mouth. To prevent your kid from doing any of this with your electrical cords, tape them to the floor. You can also rearrange your furniture to cover outlets where there might be loose hanging cords around. The last thing you want is for your little one to trip and fall, or to pull on cords and damage your expensive equipment.
3. Repair Damaged Wires
Damaged wires pose a fire hazard, and can lead to electrocution if not handled quickly. Small children think everything is a toy and could mistake an exposed wire for a fun thing to chew on and throw around. Make sure you have all damaged wires repaired before your curious child can get their hands on them.
4. Cover Power Strips
Along with covering outlets and strapping down cords, you should also look into covering power strips. A lot of parents invest in a cord shortener, cord covers, or both if they’re not able to block off the area in front of their electrical outlets. According to The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an estimated over 2,000 children experience electrical shock or burn injuries from poking around outlets or tugging on cords. To keep your children safe, make sure you’re covering power strips and outlets.
5. Keep Hazardous Items Away
Parents often lock cabinets in the kitchen and hide chemical cleaners when their kids get to a certain age. But one thing that is often forgotten about is electrical appliances. Make sure you check kitchen counters and your bathroom for any electrical appliances that your kid could possibly reach and turn on accidentally. Keep any items that could be dangerous out of sight, locked in a cabinet that can’t be opened by them, or hidden up high where they can’t be reached.
Contact The Pros At Spark Daddy Home Services In St. Louis, MO For All Your Electrical Needs!
Are you looking to schedule an electrical service, repair, or replacement in your St. Louis, MO home? Spark Daddy Home Services is here for all your electrical needs! Give us a call today at 314-668-2333 or contact us online.
