It is so exciting when your baby begins to crawl and explore their surrounding on their own. Then, with their first few steps, a whole new world is opened up to them. There is nothing more heartwarming or scarier than the curiosity of a toddler. Make sure your little one’s world is safe by protecting them from hazardous situations in the home, including electric outlets.
Electric outlets are located throughout the home so the danger is multiplied and no room is safe – until you make it that way. An easy safety precaution is to install outlet covers. Outlet covers come in many forms these days. They are very inexpensive and easy to install. You can rest easy that toddlers can remove them because they are designed to require a little elbow grease for removal.
There are also new outlet fixtures that have built-in safety features that require the push of a switch to open the outlet for a plug to be inserted. These too are inexpensive although replacing outlets throughout the entire home could add up.
LCEC recommends the most inexpensive safety measure – teaching children, even young toddlers, about electric safety. There is no cost associated and although it takes time and patience, peace of mind is well worth it. One LCEC customer shared her tip for training her toddler to stay away from the outlets and it may help to give others ideas. A customer in Lehigh Acres filled a plastic water bottle with pennies and shook it each time her child was near an outlet. It didn’t take long for the tot to get the idea and eventually steer clear of outlets all together.
An electric shock can be very minor and not cause long-term damage but it can also be strong enough to damage sensitive tissue or be fatal. If you see your child getting shocked, eliminate the source of the electricity by unplugging the cord or turning off the breaker. Immediately have someone call 911 and if your toddler is not breathing begin CPR. If you are alone, conduct CPR for two minutes and then call 911.
For more safety tips, visit www.lcec.net.