Child proofing electrical outlets and plugs

A new baby is lots of joy and lots of work!  There's more to preparing your home than decorating the nursery, especially when it comes to household electrical safety.

If you have a little one on the way, be sure to check your home for electrical hazards and take steps now to address them before an accident can happen.

You need to look at your home from different angle literally!

You're used to seeing your home from an adults view point, but when your new baby starts crawling, they'll see things from a dramatically different angle.  From way down there, babies can get into trouble with outlets or wiring that you might not even know is there and have ignored for a long time.

A good way to see 'what's down there', is to literally get on the floor and crawl around so that you can see things from your new baby's perspective. 

Be sure to take a notepad with you so that you can record the location of every area of concern and be sure to count the plugs and outlets in each room.

What do you need to do to child proof your home?

A simple child-proofing tasks is plugging in all those empty outlets so that children can't stick things inside. 

And the hands-down easiest solution is to purchase removable outlet caps that are hard for tiny fingers to remove.

So if you're open to making some modifications, you might consider replacing the outlets entirely with tamper-resistant versions that have built-in plug covers.

Another option is to replace entire outlets with face plate versions that feature sliding outlet covers while being more expensive, they will blend in aesthetically and can be left as is as children grow up.

Now, don't forget to cover the cords.

Outlet plugs can keep children safe when nothing is plugged in, however, what about when you're using the outlet?

Some outlet covers are designed with this in mind and feature a box that covers the entire outlet plate while allowing room for a plug.  Cords feed through holes in one side, letting you keep electronics plugged in without making the outlet vulnerable. 

There are similar covers designed for power strips.

If you have cords running along walls or across floors, those need to be protected as well.

Babies and children can pull or chew on those cords and they're even a tripping hazard for adults.

Consider using rubber or plastic strips called duct cord covers to conceal these cords under smooth humps that protect the cords and make walking safe.

Don't leave electrical safety to chance particularly for children and even adults.  

For more information on how you can baby proof your home, check out this comprehensive guide.

Contact Simon Caddy Electrical today by calling 0400 110081 for a no obligation consultation.

We service the Upper North Shore area including Hornsby, Wahroonga, Pymble, Turramurra, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville, Chatswood down to North Sydney.