30 NOV 2017
Here are some tips on how to prevent accidents with electrical appliances around the house, and ensure your home is safe for your children.
Everything changes when you start a family. Suddenly, everyday objects around the home become safety concerns, and you have to think about minimising the risks they pose. You certainly want to have a connected home that provides all the comforts you need, but you want to ensure your little ones don't come to any harm.
As an electric company that cares about safety, we decided to put together some tips for how to keep electrical appliances safe for kids and ensure your home is a secure environment.
1. Do a thorough safety check
We recommend that you conduct regular safety checks of each room in your house, and ask yourself the questions:
It's worth taking a look at the New Zealand government's handy checklist for more things to keep an eye out for, when conducting a safety check.
2. Arrange your rooms with safety in mind
The arrangement of furniture and appliances in each room can have a big impact on safety. Make sure that heaters are positioned well away from materials and objects that could overheat and be set alight. Another good electrical safety tip for families with children is to ensure that play areas are situated well away from heaters and other electrical appliances. This way your kids will have less incentive to play with appliances that are unsafe - and can focus on their toys.
Arranging your rooms so they're safe for children also means keeping cords out of the way so they can't be tripped over. Kids run around a lot and don't always watch where they're going, so you need to ensure they won't accidentally fall over any unplugged cables on the floor.
3. Keep things out of reach
A golden rule for electrical safety for kids is to keep things out of their reach. Curious minds will see something to poke at, hold or chew - not as a threat to their safety. Keep as many appliances as you can on high shelves so your kids can't get to them. Powerboards should also be kept out of reach and positioning furniture in front of power points will also mean they are less accessible to curious hands.
4. Unplug and put away appliances when not in use
Small appliances such as hairdryers or toasters should be unplugged when not in use, just in case a tiny explorer happens upon them. Even better - put them away in a cupboard where they can't be touched at all.
It's difficult to do this with larger appliances, such as heaters or televisions. But unplugging these when you're not using them will still greatly minimise the risk they pose to kids.
5. Child-proof cords and electrical sockets
Another way to reduce the risk larger appliances pose to children is by child-proofing your sockets and cords. Use plastic safety plugs for all power points if they don't already have socket outlets fitted with internal protective shutters, making it more difficult for children to poke things into them.
6. Ensure lamps and TV sets are secured
Lamps and TV sets can easily be knocked over and cause injury if they aren't properly secured. Try attaching your television set to the wall, or securing it with heavy objects that can't be shifted or pushed over.
Lamps are another hazard, particularly if cords are within reach, as children can grab the cords and pull them down. Making sure that cords are well out of reach will prevent this. If you have the means, installing lights that are inbuilt into the wall will also be of less risk than a lamp that stands on a bedside table.
7. Educate your kids about electrical safety
Last but not least, education is key. When you teach your children why they cannot touch certain things or operate particular appliances, you help them to have the knowledge of how to stay out of harm's way.
If your kids are old enough to start using electrical appliances for household chores - such as vacuum cleaners - teach them how to use them in the right way, with safety in mind. Let them watch you use the appliance and always supervise when they take over, assisting them when needed.
We hope we've been able to provide you with some handy electrical safety tips that will help keep your home safe for your children. If you have any questions about your household electricity, feel free to get in touch with us.
For independent complaint or pricing advice, click here. UDL & Powerswitch can help.
To read our Residential Consumer Care policy on how we'll keep you safe and connected, click here.
