Electrical Safety Tips For Kids

How many times have we heard about children and appliances? Electrical safety has been a concern among parents and homeowners since electricity was widely made available in homes.

We hear news every day about children getting electrocuted due to electrical accidents or hurting themselves. There is no secret about the dangers of electricity, especially to uneducated children who may not understand its effects on their small bodies. Now is the perfect time to learn how you can protect your child from electrical hazards in your home as a parent. 

Dangers of Electricity for Children

Perhaps you have experienced a situation where you are shocked when you touch a doorknob or another individual. What you experienced was shock from static electricity. This is a minor shock that lasts a fraction of a second. A real electric shock is very painful and has the potential to be fatal.

• There is a risk that electricity can cause severe burn injuries, fatal shocks, and even death.

• The muscles in the body get tightened up and cause choking making it difficult for the child to breathe.

• It causes the heartbeat to be disrupted, which in turn causes the blood vessels to constrict.

• Without proper handling, electricity can cause severe internal damage many hours after being shocked.

Even though these seem terrifying, they can be avoided with a little bit of knowledge and care.

How Can Parents Keep Their Children Safe From Electric Hazards?

Did you know that the number of kids who are injured or killed because of electrical accidents is very high? It has become an alarming situation. Every year, more than six thousand children get involved in electrocutions either at home or outside. The majority of these cases are due to their ignorance of electrical safety. But, at the same time, you can’t call the ignorant as they are just kids. What can you do then? Teach them about electrical safety.

If you have young children around the house, it is imperative to teach them about this serious matter. They should be well-informed about electricity and its effects on their small bodies.

There are different ways to teach kids about electrical safety. However, these simple yet effective measures must be emphasized to protect your kids from accidents caused by electricity.

1. Never Touch Electric Appliances When They Are Plugged In 

Children should be taught not to touch any electric appliance even if they are not turned on or plugged in. You may think that appliances will not cause any harm when it is turned off but this is wrong. It does pose danger, especially with the use of defective products. For small children, never allow them to play with surge protectors or extension cords as they might put their fingers into the open holes where the plugs are inserted. 

1. Always Fuse Your Outlets

You should always ensure that fuses in the house are working properly. When there are electrical problems at home, don’t hesitate to call an electrician who can fix these issues right away. Most of the time, simple electrical repairs can solve the problem.

1. Fly Kites Away from Power Lines 

Don’t let them fly kites or helium-filled balloons on strings near power lines. Getting tangled in power lines can cause a shock or fire if electricity passes through the string.

1. Water Makes Electricity More Dangerous 

To ensure kids’ electrical safety, this is essential. Water and electricity are not good combinations that should never be mixed, as parents should teach their children. You should teach your children not to handle or operate any electricity-related device with wet hands when they are young. Likewise, they shouldn’t use electrical appliances in wet areas like sinks and bathtubs. To clean such devices, they should remove them from the sockets first.

1. Keeping Away From Power Substations

Please warn them to stay as far away from power plants as possible. It is strongly recommended that parents warn their children against climbing fences or trees around power plants.

1. Power Lines Safety Tips

Educate children about the dangers of playing with power lines. They should not remove anything that sticks or gets tangled on power lines; they should call an adult such as a parent instead. People should be warned not to touch the lines with any part of their bodies or to throw objects at them. Children should never fly remote-control models near power lines, such as helicopters, drones, and toy airplanes; instead, they should fly in open fields.

1. Overcrowding Electrical Outlets 

Parents should teach children about electrical outlets and extension cords, and warn them against plugging too many things into one outlet. This can damage the electricity or even cause a fire. There is also a risk of overcrowding electrical outlets since most family members use electronics. However, this should not be permitted.

1. Using Devices While Charging

While plugged in or charging, devices such as phones, tablets, laptops, and others of this type should not be used. It is always important for parents to teach their children not to use phones when they are plugged in.

1. Obedience to Warning Signs

Be sure to teach all children to obey electrical warning signs on electrical appliances, electrical poles, and power stations to keep them and others safe.

1. Using Precautionary Measure

If they are very young, parents should undertake some measures to ensure electrical safety for children. To begin with, all electrical outlets and sockets should be covered with child-proof covers. As children move around, they will always touch everything they see and come across on their way. Without realizing it, they may end up touching sockets, extensions, and other electrical outlets with wet hands, posing a risk. Installing child-proof covers will reduce this danger.

In addition, parents should make sure all electrical appliances are out of reach of children. A residual current device is another preventative measure that ensures the safety of kids when there is an emergency by cutting the power.

How to Teach Kids about Electric Safety?

Your little explorer is ever too busy, so it is not too early to teach them about electrical safety. These tips can be of help. 

1. Talk to your kids about how electricity works:

• Make sure your children are aware of the power lines in their surroundings and how the power company is working to keep the lines safe.
• Show your child how power passes throughout the house by way of wires by walking around your house.
• Then, show them how plugs work and don’t let them put anything in electrical outlets.

Children can be attracted to outlets, so cover any outlets that are unused with childproof covers so that they cannot reach them.

2. Watch for overloads:

• Circuits that are overloaded can be dangerous. Ensure you monitor each device your kids are plugging in regularly. Even with modern circuit breakers, there is still a risk of fire and sparking with overloaded circuits.
• Since the early days of electric power, much has been done to improve its safety. Most homes are wired with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) outlets, which cut off power to an outlet that surges or shorts out. It is still important to take precautions. Each year, electrical shock or burns injure more than 4,000 children and kill about 25 kids under age 15.

3. Hold a family meeting:

• Organize a session on handling electricity safely. Be aware that kids will use and apply the knowledge differently as they grow. It’s important to review and teach them as they grow. You and your children can utilize the power of electricity safely, as long as you take care and educate yourselves.

Other Child Electrical Safety Rules

• There are many educational games available today that can be used by children to learn. Such games can be used to teach children about the dangers of electrical appliances.
• Your little one should be taught about the dangers posed by using electrical appliances, especially if they are used alone. Use stories to do this.
• As an example, follow proper electrical safety yourself so your kid can learn from you.

Every day we use electricity, so children and adults alike may forget just how dangerous it can be. Staying safe is easy as long as you understand how to use it correctly. You can help your family prevent electrical fires by using your safety detective skills around the house. 

First Aid for Electric Shock in Kids

If you are unfortunate enough to experience an electric shock, the following steps should be followed until help arrives:

• If you can, turn off the power source; otherwise, remove it with a piece of cardboard, wood, or plastic.
• If you see no movement in the child, you should start CPR.
  • DO NOT TOUCH THE CHILD IF THE POWER HAS NOT BEEN TERMINATED.
• Keep the child warm to prevent him/her from becoming chilled.
• Any burned areas should be covered with a bandage.
• You should always use child-safe electrical outlets and electric socket covers when you have young children at home.

Final Thoughts

Keeping kids safe from electrical hazards at home is not an easy task for parents. To keep their children safe, parents should choose the most appropriate methods based on the age of their children. 

Electricity can cause harm to children if they don’t know how to use it properly and take precautions. Children love exploring everything new in the house, but with this guide in mind, parents can ensure their children’s safety. 

If, however, parents feel that their home is still unsafe for children even after all these precautions, teachings, and tips, they should contact an electrician like us, who can come into the some and do an electrical safety audit and make recommendations.