Making sure your Atlanta home is safer for tiny, curious fingers is important. Read on to learn about electrical safety for kids: 1) what you should teach them, and 2) the childproofing steps you can take.

Teach Your Children About Electrical Safety at Home

Share these five basic safety tips with your kids, so they know how dangerous electricity can be and how to handle plugs and outlets safely:

Outlets are only for plugs, not fingers or other objects. Make sure your kids know that the only thing that should go in an outlet is an electric plug. Sticking anything else in, especially their fingers or something metal like a key, utensil, paperclip or toy, could lead to them getting hurt.
Don’t touch the plugs until an adult says you can. Children’s plug safety starts with letting them know not to touch plugs or outlets until you’ve said they’re old enough. When they are old enough, remind them to gently pull plugs out at the head, not by yanking the cord. Pulling plugs out by the cord can damage the device, plug, or outlet.
Don’t mix electricity and water. Kids need to know that water and electricity don’t mix and that they should never take anything that’s plugged in into the shower, bath, or pool with them. If they see an electronic device with water or water damage on it, they should tell an adult instead of using it. Remind them not to splash any electrical outlets near water, such as one they’ve plugged their electric toothbrush into.
Stay away from damaged cords. Frayed, melted, or worn cords are a safety hazard. Teach your kids to recognize signs of cord damage and to report it to an adult.
Be careful around outdoor electricity. Tell children not to climb on or around power lines or poles. If they see a downed or broken line, they should stay far away from it and tell an adult where they found it. And neighborhood transformer boxes are not meant to be touched, climbed on, or played on.

What You Can Do: Electrical Childproofing Steps

You can also take your own steps to make your Marietta, Woodstock, or Cartersville home safer for kids. These “childproofing” tips are great for when kids are too young to understand electrical safety.

Here’s how you can make your home safer:

Install childproof electrical outlet covers. When kids are too young to understand, “Don’t put your fingers there,” childproofing outlets can keep them safer. These plastic covers go in unoccupied outlets to help prevent children from accidentally shocking themselves. You can also use a power strip cover to keep them away from power strips.
Keep cords away from walkways. Loose cords in the hallway are a tripping hazard. Frequently tripping over or stepping on cords can also damage them over time, making them an electrical hazard. Secure electrical cords to the wall with cord covers to keep them out of sight and tripping distance. You can also use cord organizers or tuck them behind furniture to keep them out of the way.
Keep electrical devices and cords out of grabbing range. Kids like to grab and pull at things, so be especially careful to secure or tuck away cords connected to devices above their heads, such as table lamps or laptops. Cords can also be a strangulation hazard for babies and infants.
Inspect your outlet covers and plugs. Make sure all your outlets are completely covered, with no exposed wiring or loose plugs that could be pulled by curious fingers.
Keep spare cords out of reach. Store any spare extension cords, charging cords, or power strips somewhere your child can’t get to them. These cords could potentially be a strangulation hazard.

Call the Pros to Update Old or Unsafe Electrical Systems

You can childproof and share electrical safety tips at home all you want, but an old or incorrectly installed electrical system will always be a hazard. Keep your kids safer with a safety inspection from the licensed electricians at Mister Sparky of Atlanta.

We can help fix any problem that comes up and make sure your home wiring follows local building codes. Whether that means repairing a faulty outlet or rewiring your whole home to replace damaged wires, we’ve got you covered. To schedule an inspection or repair, call (770) 824-9592 or book online today.