Electrical risks: a real danger for children

In fact, protecting your child from electrical risks could start right out of the maternity ward. A fortiori when several children evolve at home, it is necessary to think of protecting it from these potential domestic incidents.

Don’t wait too long to do this, your kids will start crawling, exploring the house, investigating anything they can get their hands on from an early age. Accidental injuries are one of the main causes of death among the little ones. Electrical risks also apply to older children, even teenagers.

There are many electrical risks: electrification, electrocution, fire, burns, etc. Did you know that in France and each year, 13% of domestic accidents due to electricity are fatal? It’s an average, but no one wants to see their child enrich the statistics. Children under 5 in particular are the victims of these domestic electrical disasters up to 63%; the figure is enough to arouse fear…
These electrical risks have 3 main causes:

Installations that no longer meet safety standards
An electrical outlet that crackles when a plug is plugged in or the absence of a surge protection device, for example, are serious risks.
Lack of parental vigilance or anticipation of risk taking
Protecting access to electrical outlets accessible to the little fingers of the little ones is a major anticipation in the fight against potential risks, and this does not always happen only to others…
Non-compliance with or failure to learn basic safety instructions
Like not plugging an appliance into an electrical outlet with wet hands, or not using a hair dryer in the bathtub whose water would drain at the same time so as not to waste time.

6 basic gestures to protect them

Here are some tips for protecting against electrical hazards.
Avoid using extension cords

As much as possible, avoid using extension cords and power strips in your toddler’s room. He would tend to try to catch them like any other object or even put them in his mouth. He could also play with exposed electrical cords and wires.
Use covers for electrical outlets

The least expensive way to protect your children from electrical hazards is to use a pack of socket covers, there are some with and without an earth plug. It’s so simple, even if the device is damn incomplete for the whole house!
Shorten the cords

A lamp or other household appliance is usually near a power outlet. Excess cord can loop around your child’s foot and cause them to trip or cause the lamp to fall on your offspring. Admittedly, this is no longer an electrical risk strictly speaking, but in addition to this domestic incident, it is likely that the electrical wires are pulled and the plug is disconnected. By pulling on the wires, an electrical hazard may appear and manifest itself when the child, or even an adult, wants to reconnect the plug.
Ban multiple sockets

Power strips are common in residential homes because they are convenient and economical, being able to power multiple devices at once. The disadvantage is that the youngest children are sitting on the ground or lying on the ground to play, and inevitably they will come into contact with this electrical equipment. They will even sometimes use it as a playground, what a magnificent setting for a child…!
Use night lights

Using a night light to light up the night is a matter of safety for your child. Perfect for the bedroom, hallway and restroom, he won’t be trying to light up or plug anything in when he wakes up in the middle of the night to pee.

There are even small luminaires to be placed on the wall or on the floor. Strictly speaking, this is not a direct electrical risk, but pilot lights are useful prevention, also serving the comfort of your child.
Replace or repair faulty devices

If you have any devices that are very hot or very sensitive to the touch, have them checked immediately by a professional electrician. Especially the switches. A good electrician is able to detect the problem and fix it immediately before something serious happens.

Along with these warning signs, regular repair and maintenance of the home electrical system will not only keep your family safe, but you will also reap the benefits of properly functioning electricity. Maintenance protects your family and property against
Electricity has become essential in our homes and can be very dangerous for the little ones. Completely unaware of the risks of an electrical outlet, the curiosity of babies unfortunately still too often pushes them to put their finger in the outlet. We provide you with some tips for securing your home and protecting children from the dangers associated with electricity in your home.

Systematically install outlet covers

As soon as your child is old enough to crawl, his desire to explore pushes him to discover the smallest corners of his environment.

Many electrical outlets will be in his way, so it’s essential to make sure that his fingers cannot get into them, as well as his favorite little toys and characters!

To guarantee baby’s safety, take the lead by installing socket covers everywhere. These plastic parts obstruct the holes of the sockets and exist in a key or suction cup system so that your little one cannot have fun removing it on his own.

Many models of baby-safe electrical sockets occupy the French market, including from the largest manufacturers such as Legrand.

New standards concerning eclipsed sockets:

Compulsory since 1991 for new or renovated homes, eclipsed sockets are closed by two protective flaps which only open when the two pins of an electrical plug are inserted simultaneously.

Adopt some electrical hazard prevention reflexes

Showing a good example to the little ones is a very effective way of teaching them practices related to protection against electricity present in sockets.

In addition to relentless and rigorous monitoring:

do not leave a plugged-in electrical device nearby. Baby loves unplugging the plugs;
conversely, do not leave an unplugged device within reach, your child will try to reconnect it for sure;
do not pull on an electric wire to disconnect an outlet, pull on the plug;
do not handle an electrical appliance with a knife, fork or metal spoon (such as to remove a slice of bread stuck in the toaster), rather invest in wooden tongs;
hide exposed wires behind furniture and overhead power strips rather than on the floor.

Leaving nothing lying around is the best way to protect your children from electrical hazards!

If these measures can sometimes be restrictive on a daily basis, especially when the safety of the electrical outlet is blocked, they effectively protect the little ones from the dangers linked to the electrical voltages present in the sockets.

An aging electrical installation presents a real risk of fire and electrocution. La Maison Des Travaux supports you in checking your electrical installation.