Make the Home Safer
May 4th, 2010
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By Pam Blair Children love to explore, but the typical home is filled with a host of dangers for tiny fingers and little mouths: dangling cords, flashing lights, inviting buttons and enticing outlets. According to a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 2,400 children receive emergency room treatment every year for injuries caused by inserting objects into electrical outlets—an average of seven children a day. The CPSC reported almost 95 percent of injuries involve burns. While the chance of electrocution is small, pediatric burns can be particularly serious because the skin is thin and offers little resistance to electric flow or heat. With infants and toddlers, burns and scars are even more severe. The CPSC found 86 percent of reported home electrical injuries involved children 1 to 4 years old, with the highest frequency occurring at mealtimes. Particularly alarming, the report found that more than 70 percent of electrical incidents occur at home, with adult supervision typically present. It only takes a split second for a naturally curious toddler to stick a finger or an easily accessible household item—a hairpin, keys, a screw, a nail, a paper clip, a staple, tweezers, a file, a knife or jewelry—into an electrical outlet, which usually is installed at a height near a child’s eye level. According to Safe Kids Worldwide—a global organization whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury—unintentional injuries claim even more young lives than disease. Special Outlets Provide Extra Protection Using a plastic outlet protector is a common solution to prevent children from sticking objects into outlets. The prongs fit directly into the outlet holes. Unfortunately, they can be removed by children. A study by Temple University found 47 percent of 4 year olds and 31 percent of 2 year olds could remove protectors with a round, flat face and two prongs. The same percentage of 4 year olds and 18 percent of 2 year olds could remove protectors with a 3/16-inch thick oval face and a tapered side. All 2 and 4 year olds could remove protectors with a 1/16-inch thick oval face and a flat side. A safer solution is tamper-resistant outlets. These specialized outlets have been so effective in preventing injuries to children that the 2008 National Electrical Code requires them to be installed in all new home construction, although not all states—notably California—have adopted the code yet. They cost as little as $2 an outlet and can easily be incorporated into older homes. Installation is identical to standard receptacles. Tamper-proof outlets feature a shutter mechanism that protects children from sticking foreign objects into the receptacle. The spring-loaded shutter system only allows electricity to flow when equal pressure is applied simultaneously to both shutters, such as when an electrical plug is inserted. When something is inserted into both vertical outlet holes at the same time, the interior plastic shutters open. When unused, both shutters are closed and openings are covered. Most young children do not stick two objects into the two vertical outlet holes at the same time. Follow These Additional Safety Tips When childproofing the home, electricity often is taken for granted. That can have dire consequences. The electricity in one 7.5-watt Christmas tree light bulb, if passed through the chest, is enough to kill an adult in less than one second. Check out every room in your home from a small child’s eye level. Get down on your hands and knees and look for anything that can be a hazard. Think about what could be explored, tasted or climbed on. Make a note of each by room. |
It is never too early to teach children about electrical safety. It can help them avoid unsafe behavior. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) and the Leviton Institute offer these safety tips:
Are These Devices Protecting Your Home?Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs)—This type of circuit breaker recognizes fire hazards and immediately shuts off the power. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Healthy Homes report lists lack of AFCIs among the primary residential hazards associated with burns and fire-related injuries. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)—These special outlets have saved thousands of people from electrocution during the past three decades. If GFCIs were installed in older homes, experts suggest 70 percent of the approximately 400 electrocutions that occur each year in the home could be prevented. Tamper-Resistant Outlets (TROs)—These specialized outlets protect small children from inserting foreign objects into them. They have been so effective in preventing injuries to children that the 2008 National Electrical Code requires TROs to be installed in all new homes. |