Electrical Safety for Kids: National Electrical Safety Month

How to Teach Your Kids About Electrical Safety

It’s May. The weather is warming up. The school year is ending. And kids are going to be home much longer than usual.

For a parent, it’s great to have your kids back for the summer. But this time can present some hazards for your little ones, and that is why electrical safety for kids is so important. May is also National Electrical Safety Month. Here at AttaBoy Electric Littleton, we understand how to operate and be near electrical outlets and breakers safely. But do your kids? Unless they’re an electrician prodigy (in which case, we might have a job for them), they can’t tell the difference between an exposed wire and a spaghetti noodle. We’ve identified a few tips for parents to keep their children safe from electricity hazards this summer.

Contents

• What is National Electrical Safety Month?
• Why is electrical safety for kids important?
• Electrical Safety for Kids
• How To Childproof Your Home for Electrical Safety
• How To Know If Your Home Is Electrically Safe
• 13 Electrical Safety Tips for Kids

What is National Electrical Safety Month?

National Electrical Safety Month (NESM) aims to promote electrical safety rules in the home, school, and workplace. The goal of National Electrical Safety Month is to educate individuals on electrical safety to help reduce fires, injuries, and fatalities. AttaBoy Electric Littleton takes part in National Electrical Safety Month by educating our customers on how to protect their families from electrical dangers best.

Why is electrical safety for kids important?

Electrical components pose serious risks that may be life-threatening. Electric shocks and arc flashes can cause serious bodily harm like burns, nerve damage, blindness, hearing loss, and in extreme cases, death. Understanding electrical safety for kids may save you or a loved one’s life.

Electrical Safety for Kids in Littleton

TRAIN THEM! You don’t want your kids reaching into electrical sockets. But under supervision, let them roam around. If they drift near an electrical socket, particularly with their hand, sternly let them know it’s wrong and redirect them away. You may have to do this a few times to get the message across. EDUCATE THEM! If you have an older child, they’ll begin to understand the severity of electrical hazards. Educate them on how the components work and what can happen if improperly used or tampered with.

Teaching children to call 911 should an electrical emergency occur is also helpful. Should they be alone, or if the person with them becomes unconscious due to an electrical shock, they’ll need to know how to get help. Beyond electrical emergencies, knowing how to call 911 is a valuable skill for all kids to learn.

How To Childproof Your Littleton Home for Electrical Safety

Childproofing your home is an added step to ensuring electrical safety for children around electrical components.

1. Plastic Inserts! - Plastic inserts are an effective way to enclose outlets. They can prevent children from putting their hands near the outlet or inserting foreign objects. While you should train your children to be wary of outlets, a plastic insert adds a layer of protection. Pieces of furniture, like chairs and cabinets, are also great for covering up outlets that you never use.
2. Secure your Electrical Cords and Plugs! - Constantly pulling or prying at electrical cords can expose the metal insides, which may carry an electrical charge. Secure your cords to the wall with tape to prevent your child from pulling on them.
3. Hide Devices! - Much like how you’d keep cleaning chemicals locked away under your sink, store electronic devices the same way. Hairdryers and kitchen appliances should especially be out of reach for children.

How To Know If Your Home Is Electrically Safe

AttaBoy Electric Littleton is committed to keeping our customers safe and happy. Part of that is taking electrical safety measures when we visit your home, including:

• Examining your wiring – We’ll keep an eye out for frayed or exposed wires and see if nearby power lines are up to code.
• Upgrading your circuit box – An old circuit box is more susceptible to surges and outages.
• Examining all critical electrical components prone to failure – Have you ever noticed how your phone charger sometimes falls out of an outlet? This annoyance can be extremely dangerous to you. Your charger prongs can partially slide out of the socket and still be connected to the electrical substation power grid.
• Installing GFCIs

What is GFCI?

A GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter, is an outlet that quickly disperses an electrical current with leakage into the ground. In essence, it helps to protect you from electrical shock. GFCIs are primarily seen in bathrooms or kitchens where water is consistently present, but you can have them installed in all areas of your home.

Littleton Parents

This month, take some time to sit down with your kids and teach them how to be safe around electrical components this summer. If you want an expert to see how your home stacks up against the latest electrical safety for kids guidelines, call AttaBoy Electric Littleton today, and we’ll send a licensed professional in no time.

13 Electrical Safety Tips for Kids in Littleton, CO

1. Never Poke Sharp and Metallic Objects into Electrical Outlets - Children and even adults use sharp and metallic objects like keys, spoons, nails, scissors, and such like objects when plugging in chargers on sockets or even electrical extensions in most homes. This is very dangerous as it may lead to electrical shocks or even worse. Parents should warn their children against this risky behavior.
2. Teaching by Demonstration - The best way for parents to educate their children about electrical safety is by demonstrating the dangers of electricity. As the old cliché goes, seeing is believing, children taught about electricity using demonstrations tend to fear and be more careful when dealing with electricity.
   Parents can take their children to museums with hands-on displays for children where they are made to understand science and nature. Simple displays create a small electrical charge by turning a handle, therefore, learning about electricity.
   Static electricity is also another best way to demonstrate, where children are shown what happens when they rub surfaces together and then touch their hair. They will feel a tingle in their fingers, which will give them a sense of what electricity is.
3. Fly Kites Away from Power Lines - Warn them of flying kites and having Mylar or helium-filled balloons on strings near power lines. Electricity can travel through the string and cause a shock or fire if tangled on the power lines.
4. Water Makes Electricity more Dangerous - This is essential in ensuring kids’ electrical safety. Parents should teach their children that water and electricity are not good combinations that should never be mixed.
5. Keeping Away From Power Substations - Caution them to stay away from power stations no matter what.
6. Power Lines Safety Tips - Educate children on the dangers of playing with power lines.
7. Avoiding Contact with Electrical Wires and Lines - Children should be warned against trying to help those in contact with electrical wires.
8. Operating Electrical Appliances - Depending on their age, parents should encourage their children always to seek adult help.
9. Over-crowding Electrical Outlets - Parents should educate children about the working of electrical outlets.
10. Never Leave Devices Plugged in at Night - All electronic devices should be plugged out when sleeping.
11. Using Devices While Charging - Devices like phones should not be used while charging.
12. Obedience to Warning Signs - Teach children always to obey warning signs.
13. Using Precautionary Measure - If they are very young, parents should undertake measures such as child-proof covers.

Conclusion

Ensuring electrical safety for kids at home is not an easy task for parents. Depending on the age of the children, parents should choose the most appropriate methods of keeping their children safe.

With this guide in mind, parents are one step ahead in ensuring the safety of their children. However, if parents feel like the house is still not safe for children even after all these precautions, teachings, and tips, they should hire an electrician.

AttaBoy Electric Littleton serves the Littleton metro area with superior quality and reliable residential electrician services. Our certified technicians and Master Electricians provide professional, affordable service and electrical repairs. AttaBoy Electric does home rewiring, electrical installations including breaker panels, electrical panel repairs, lighting installation services, and appliance installations. Call us today at 303-288-2269 to schedule an appointment!