TEACHING CHILDREN ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Electrical safety is essential to get right with children around - so what can you do at home to keep your kids out of danger?

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I remember being six years old and quietly playing in the living room when I saw my toddler brother Sal go flying through the air across the room and land under the dining table. Apparently, he had poked a knife into the spare plug socket by the TV. He was lucky not to be electrocuted, but thinking back, this accident happened with people in the room and was entirely preventable. So what can parents do to lessen the likelihood of any electrical incidents like this, around your kids?

SAFETY IN THE HOME

There are a number of ways to make sure your home is as safe as possible for your children in terms of electrical hazards. Here are some useful things to keep in mind when looking to minimise the risks around you.

Get down on their level

If your children are toddlers, crawl around your house if needs be, to identify any electrical dangers. It can be hard to spot certain things that a toddler’s curious hands might find from a standing adult’s height, which is why it can be helpful to get down on their level like this. Make sure to plug up lower power points with plastic outlet plugs. These are designed so well that they’re difficult for adults to remove – let alone little fingers!

Where to be aware

Hide powerboards out of sight, behind beds and drawers. A useful tip is to drill a hole in the back of the TV cabinet and thread the powerboard cord through. This avoids any tangled cords lying around, waiting for a toddler to pull at! Also be careful of charging your phones, tablets and other daily electrics at low sockets. Make sure to supervise children in an area with potential electrical hazards and always be wary with small appliances around bathtubs or pools.