Toddlers and babies are curious. They’ll investigate basically anything if left unsupervised. That’s why parents ought to spend hours baby-proofing their home. One of the ways an infant may harm her or himself is by poking things inside the electrical outlets. Since we cannot do away with power outlets, the best thing to do would be to baby proof electrical outlets inside your home.
Before the electrical contractors Winnipeg services of Powertec Electric start thinking of how to baby proof electrical outlets, we first must consider the various outlets you may have inside your home. They include:
- Electrical hazards from exposed wiring or faulty switches
- USB outlets
- Electrical receptacles
- GFCI outlets
- Extension cords/power strips
- Regular wall outlets
How to Baby Proof Regular Power Strips and Wall Outlets
If you’re living in an older home that never has been renovated, odds are that the wall outlets utilize a receptacle that is not tamper resistant. TRRs (tamper resistant receptacles) feature a spring-loaded shutter that closes off the power outlet openings. The only point that they’ll open is when they’re simultaneously depressed. The odds of your infant doing that with any toy are extremely low.
- Make sure that all of your accessible wall outlets are resistant to tampering
- Confirm that the spring-loaded shutters work
This also should apply to your extension cord outlets and power strips.
While tamper-resistant receptacles make outlets safer, it’s possible to make them baby-proof by buying outlet plugs. They’re plastic caps that fit tightly into the power strips or wall outlets and fully seal them off. Your infant cannot access the outlet without taking off this cap which is not that simple to uninstall with small hands.
Keeping Your Infant or Toddler from Pulling Cables
The next issue would be making sure that the infant does not chew, play with, or tag on loaded power cables. The easiest solution might be to keep power cables out of the way. Make sure all semi-permanent or permanent wires are stashed out of the way utilizing cable conduits or simply contact professionals to install it on the wall. This isn’t just neat yet also keeps cables out of the infant’s reach.
In instances in which the power cables have to interface with accessible wall outlets, buy a safety electrical outlet cover. It’s a tough plastic cover that encloses the plugged-in cables, as well as the socket, therefore, making it difficult for your baby to pull the plugs out. You also should get child-proof power strip covers.
The best method of baby proofing electrical outlets is by making sure that they’re as inaccessible to your infant or toddler. If you can, change your behaviour, as well as to adapt to use select outlets which are difficult to reach then cover the rest. For example, keep power strips out of your infant’s way by putting them on high areas rather than leaving them lying on the floor. Your infant or toddler can’t mess with electricity if she or he cannot reach the active power outlets.