Your Raleigh home should be your haven, where both you and your children can feel secure and protected. We often spend our time and effort protecting our kids from harm that might come from outside the property, forgetting that right within the walls there are hazards that might be lurking. One such common household hazard is electricity.
Electricity may seem like a common danger for an adult. However, children are often unaware of the dangers an electric socket or an electrical cord can impose. For this reason, every homeowner must take the time to childproof their property in Raleigh from every possible electrical hazard. Who knows? You might just save your life or that of a loved one.
The following are some of the steps you can take to safeguard your home from electrical hazards.
Identify what the potential electrical threats are
Grab a notepad and a pen and move from one room to another listing down each electrical source, power strips, cords and any other electrical device that is in there. When inspecting the rooms do not hold anything back. Examine behind the side tables, furniture, and countertops. If need be, get down on all fours to catch a realistic view of what your young ones are likely to see and touch. Once you have exhausted all the rooms, think of the various ways you can childproof the electrical outlets, power strips, electric cords, and switches. Here are a few pointers.
Childproof the electrical outlets
Your little ones are highly curious and always seem to be attracted to trouble. For instance, they may attempt to insert their fingers or plug-in objects into the power outlets, oblivious of the impending danger. Since you might not have the energy to watch over your kids all the time, why not tamper proof your power sources using the following means.
- Install electrical outlet caps
These thoughtful safety devices have an inbuilt barrier that only allows the entry of specially rated plugs while keeping everything else including tiny fingers and foreign objects out.
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- Install Child-proof wall plates
Wall plates fit seamlessly over a standard power outlet casing, and they come with an inbuilt spring-loaded wall plate. The spring makes it tough for a child to access, yet possible for an adult to open it effortlessly.
Another brilliant solution for childproofing your power outlets is to insert plastic caps over the power outlet plug spaces. Once you seal the entry, your kids cannot get their fingers in them.
Childproofing the power strip or extension cable
Most homes use energy bars and extension cables to run multiple devices in the home. For instance, it not unusual to find the TV set, home theater, and computer all connected to the same power bar. As a result, the cords get tangled up while heading to the same electrical source. Such entwining can be a source of excitement for your curious little one, and the child might be tempted to pull the cords or even insert his or her fingers in the power strip. To eliminate such incidents from taking place, consider doing the following.
- Install power strip or extension cable covers
Purchase casings meant specifically for the power strip and wrap them around your power bar. Thanks to their single exit hole, your cords will stay firmly in place, making it difficult for your kids to pull them out or insert their fingers.
Childproofing the electrical cords
Take the time to secure all electric cords in your home, as a child can quickly get drawn to them, pull, or even put the wires in his or her mouth. Such an act can lead to electrocution of the child, a fire break out, or the attached electronic device getting blown up. You can secure the electric cables in your Raleigh property by;
- Switching them off at the power source and unplug all appliances that you are not using,
- Connecting the devices to power outlets where your child cannot reach.
- Removing unnecessary electrical devices from the child’s room and placing them where you can monitor the child.
- Safely tucking cables that are hanging precariously out of the child’s reach.
Childproofing the Switches
A child can also get electrocuted when playing with the switch. Therefore, you need to ensure that you childproof the switches in your home by using switch locks and household safety switches.
Safeguarding your home from electrical hazards is extremely important. We encourage everyone to follow these tips and make sure your children are free from the dangers that are within your own home.