We owe a lot of our modern conveniences to electricity and it’s fair to say that life would not be the same without it. But just because electricity is very helpful, it’s crucial that we remember it is also potentially very dangerous. This is something you always need to keep in mind when working with it and it’s even more important when you have young children in the house.
In fact, electrical safety should be right at the forefront of your mind when you’re looking into ‘child-proofing’ your home and when you begin the process, you’re likely to find that there are many potential hazards that you hadn’t previously recognized.
You may think that your home is child-safe but what about those power outlets? What about the wires behind the TV? What about the lamps, which might present a potential fire hazard?
This infographic from Transfer Electric of Toronto is a quick reference that will help you to quickly identify the plethora of electrical hazards that might present themselves.
Key Points
There are several key points that will hopefully be immediately apparent when looking at this infographic.
They are:
Power Outlets: 79% of people will at some point have an accident in the home due to power outlets! Toddlers are especially at risk, seeing as they have an insatiable curiosity and are at just the right eye-level for power outlets to be appealing.
Secure Electronic Appliances: Electrical appliances from televisions, to games consoles, to lamps can potentially be a fire hazard if they are pulled off of a shelf and onto the floor. Securing them down is a good way to avoid accidents.
Supervise Children: The best way to keep your children safe is simply to supervise them at all times. This way you can make sure that they aren’t playing with things they shouldn’t be. If your children are in a room full of electrical items and gadgets, just make sure that you’re in that room with them. This is also good for your gadgets themselves!
Keep Electronics Away from Children: Better yet, just keep the electronics away from your kids. One way to do this is simply to put them high up on a shelf where they won’t be able to reach them.
Keep Batteries Secure: Small batteries can be dangerous, especially if swallowed or damaged. Keep them out of reach in a locked drawer!
Prevent Fires: All these electrical safety tips should help to prevent fires and anything that is a potential fire hazard should be kept well away from children!
So, how does your home stack up?
Kids are so fascinated with anything electronic, I babysit my granddaughter and boy is she attracted to anything that plugs in, yes you need to keep an eye on them all the time, or make sure the house is child proof!!
Electricity can be scary with children and sometimes pets. Although I have no children of my own, my house is very safe for the many children in my life.