Sadly, approximately 2,400 children receive emergency room treatment every year for electrical shock or burns caused by tampering with a wall outlet. We can do a better job of baby proofing the house!
About fifty percent of the homes that Infant House evaluates for childproofing have already installed the outlet caps. The parents believe they are safe because they are sold in many stores. Here are a few of the safety concerns with the outlet caps:
•The caps are just the right size for the baby to put in their mouth and the two prongs make sure the cap will get stuck in the baby’s throat.
•Babies learn very quickly how to remove the caps by watching their parents.
•Almost every home or business we visit that has the caps, at least one is missing and the outlet is not protected.
•When something is plugged in, a child can easily pull the cord, unplug the item and now they have a dangerous unprotected outlet.
The National Electrical Code requires new homes to install TRRs (Tamper Resistant Receptacles). These are better than the outlet caps, however, there is a better solution for baby proofing and why not do all you can to protect your children.
Childproofing is about layers of protection. Self-closing outlet covers provide an additional layer to a recognized hazard. Infant House recommends using the Slide outlet covers. These safety covers have a spring loaded panel that snaps shut when a device is unplugged and they are almost impossible for babies to operate and yet easy for adults. The Slide outlet covers are available by request at babyproofing@infanthouse.com.
The outlet covers come in colors of white, ivory, and brown. They are available with two screws or one screw and we stock the covers for the older two-pronged outlets.
Nothing is more effective at preventing an injury to your child than to have an in-home childproofing consultation with Infant House.
We work with parents who want to protect their children from injuries in the home and around the swimming pool.
About the Author: Jack Smith is a child safety expert with Infant House, a baby proofing company serving the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin Texas area. He is the Daddy of boy/girl twins, affiliated with the International Association for Child Safety, contributing author of “Chaos 2 Calm the moms-of-multiples’ guide to an organized family”, seen on CBS and inventor of the GlideLok – a childproof door latch sold worldwide. Contact: InfantHouse.com or call 866-Infant5 (866-463-2685) for your in-home childproofing evaluation.
04/14 DEA & Poison Control Centers. 05/14 Sources: ESFi, IAFCS and National Safety Council. June 2016
