Electrical Safety Tips For Kids

As a parent, the safety of your kids should always be your number one priority, as we all know that kids are sometimes careless. They will touch and do things without knowing their full implications. But then again, who can blame them? They are called Children for a reason. Kids generally are curious because that is one of the ways they can learn how the world works. However, while it’s very much okay to allow kids to explore things around them as long as they are not in danger of getting hurt, watching them play with electricity is something you should never allow.

 

Even with full-grown adults, direct contact with loose electrical wires can cause serious shock, Injuries, and, worst cases, death! Now imagine what the same thing would do to young, naive kids? Trust me, you don’t want to imagine that horror!

 

Therefore, as a parent, you must keep your kids from harm’s way. And one of the ways to do this is to ensure that your kids are aware of the dangers of making direct contact with electricity. This is particularly essential because your kids won’t always be under your watch. For example, they will one day visit their friends for sleepovers, slumber parties, etc.

Therefore, If they already know about electrical safety, they will be able to keep themselves and other people away from harm’s way.

If you are a parent looking to provide some valuable electrical safety information for your kids, this article is just for you. For clarity’s sake, we will group the safety information into indoor and outdoor categories.

Indoor

According to Google, the home is where most electrical accidents happen. This is potentially due to the freedom that kids enjoy at home. They can roam freely everywhere and anywhere. And when they are not being monitored properly, they can get hurt due to electrical accidents. So the following are things you need to teach your kids to prevent electrical accidents from happening to them at home.

1. Teach them never to stick their fingers or any metal object into an electrical socket or electrical lamp holder: Kids can play with literally anything. Therefore, as a parent, you must teach your kids the danger of sticking their fingers into electric or lightbulb sockets.

• Irrespective of the operating status of an appliance, teach your kids to never stick their fingers and other objects ( particularly metals since they conduct electricity better than other matter) into small appliances, such as toasters, microwaves, electrical water heaters, or kettles, etc. Aside from electrical accidents that this can cause, putting objects inside some home appliances can damage such appliances.

• Teach them never to use any electrical appliances if they are wet. This particular instruction is very important because it will save not only their own lives but also the lives of those around them. Water and electricity do not mix. So if your kids are wet, either from the rain or just bathing, ensure they dry themselves before using any electrical appliance.

• Teach them never to use electrical appliances besides a sink, tap, or even inside the bathroom. Although If need be, phones can be taken into the bathroom. But if you are going to charge the phone or other electrical devices, teach them never to place it beside any water source.

• Unplug electrical appliances before they clean them: Even as an adult, this mistake is something that most people make without knowing the full implications. If you or your children are going to clean any electrical devices, ensure they are unplugged before the cleaning takes place.

• Try to teach them the danger of touching electrical devices when their hand is still in contact with water. This is because when electrical comes in contact with water, it can produce electricity charges which will definitely shock the kids.

• Not only should your electrical appliances be kept far away from any source of water, but electrical wires and appliance cords (which include even their phone cords) should also be kept far away from water.

• Do not buy or use fake chargers: Phone companies that write that you should only use recommended charges are not only pulling marketing gimmicks. It has been observed that using fake or spoilt chargers can cause electrical accidents. Unfortunately, some of these accidents can lead to death or serious injuries.

• And lastly, as a kid, if you see a loose electrical wire or damaged cords. Don’t hesitate to call the attention of an older person to get it fixed as soon as possible.

 

Outdoor

As electrical accidents happen at home, so do they happen outside, especially if the kids are not properly supervised. So here are some tips to ensure that kids are safe from electrical accidents in public.

1. Kids do all kinds of things at the park; therefore, you must teach them the danger of climbing trees without adult supervision. This is because some trees have power lines running through them.
2. Kite strings are a good conductor of electricity since they are made of metal. Ensure that they don’t fly their kites beside a power line.
3. Whenhen they see a power line lying down, jump over it or pass another route. It’s dangerous to assume that the ground power lines do not carry any electrical charges.
4. Refrain them from climbing fences around electric substations. In short, they should stay away from electric substations altogether.
5. Overhead power lines are not meant for target practice. Don’t throw objects at them!
6. And lastly, when you see someone not moving after touching a power line. Run away from that area and call 911.

 

Conclusion

A lot of electrical accidents that happen at home and in public are sometimes preventable. The secret is to know what you should and shouldn’t do around electrical devices, wires, and sockets.

Also, electrical safety information is not limited to a certain age group. Your kids should also be informed about the danger of playing with electrical wires and appliances.

However, while it is okay to lecture your kids on how to prevent electrical accidents, you, as a parent, can also ensure that this doesn’t even happen. If you have any loose wires, exposed sockets, and lamp holders at home, don’t hesitate to contact a professional electrician to come to fix them!