#BABYPROOF CORD HOW TO#

Having a plan in place to babyproof a house immediately after moving is one of the best ways to keep your curious baby or toddler safe.Īccording to KidsHealth, most household accidents involve water in the bathroom or swimming pool, heat in the kitchen, toxic substances in places where medicine and cleaning products are stored, falls involving stairs or tipped furniture, and choking involving unsafe foods or button batteries. Unfortunately, household accidents involving babies and young children are all too common. If possible, strategically place furniture in front of them as a barrier.Moving with a baby? Start making a babyproof plan for the new home today. Go through your home and see which outlets are exposed. The easiest way to keep cords away from little hands is to use furniture to block access to them.

What’s a modern family to do? Luckily, babyproofing your electrical cords is easier than you think.

Wrap the cord around their necks and choke.

Pull out the cord and gain access to the outlet.

Long cords are dangerous because kids can: Then there are hairdryers, curling irons, toasters, blenders, vacuum cleaners, and more. Just think of all of your chargers, lamps, video games, and entertainment systems. However, there is a good chance most of your outlets are consistently being used.

#BABYPROOF CORD HOW TO#

How To Babyproof Electrical CordsĮlectrical outlet covers are great for outlets you do not use often. The easiest way to protect your children from the dangers posed by electrical outlets is to use an outlet guard. Outlet boxes are also bigger, so if you are short on space, they may not fit. You do not want to buy one that can simply be lifted or popped off.

Cons: Because outlet boxes are often designed to keep out the weather rather than children, it might be tough to find a box for babyproofing.

An outlet box saves you from worrying about this problem by permanently blocking access to the outlet.

However, this means you have to plug in the large appliance each time you want to use it. When an outlet and cord are exposed on these large appliances, parents often unplug them and use an outlet cover. Pros: Outlet boxes are great for heavier appliances you plug in permanently, such as washers, dryers, televisions, and refrigerators.This will make it extremely hard for your child to open. Look for an outlet box with a two-button release system. However, they can also be helpful for babyproofing.Īn outlet box completely covers the outlet and even has room for appliance cords. Many people use outlet boxes to protect outdoor electrical outlets. These buttons are designed to help you test the outlet’s ability to stop the current from flowing and providing power. You can tell if you have GFCI outlets by looking for “reset” and “test” buttons on the outlet. These interruptions primarily result from the appliance coming into contact with water or overheating. Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets dramatically reduce the risk of electric shock by registering the power flow between the appliance you plug in, such as a hairdryer, and anything that may interrupt it. We will focus on the two most popular “B” outlet types, which are also the most common in homes today.

It becomes tricky when you look at the many options available in these two subsets. The “A” outlet is two-pronged while the “B” outlet has three. You may know these outlets better by the number of prongs they receive from a plug. In the United States, we use “A” and “B” electrical outlets. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration (2). There are currently 15 types of electrical outlets around the world assigned by the U.S. How do you effectively babyproof electrical outlets to avoid these scary statistics? First, you need to understand what sort of outlets you have in your home and then get the correct guards to make them inaccessible to little hands. This is approximately seven children every day, with 89% of them being under the age of six. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 24,000 children over a ten-year period were admitted to the emergency room due to incidents with electrical receptacles (1). It is essential to understand the very real dangers posed by electrical outlets. Teach Your Children To Use Electricity Safely.

Babyproof cord