Guide to Babyproofing Everything Electrical

We’re not saying anything new by talking about how awesome our kids can be. No parent would doubt for even a minute that theirs is one of the biggest parts of their lives. They also wouldn’t doubt that kids are inquisitive, often to a fault. And with a home full of electronics, outlets, and appliances, it can be hard to feel like your kids are as safe as you want them to be.

Looking for the best ways to babyproof for your child or newcomer? The experts at Hoffman Electrical & A/C are here to help! Safety is our absolute top priority, and we want to ensure our clients get all of the best info possible to keep their Tampa home and family safe.

A Quick Guide to Electrical Safety for Kids

Proofing Outlets

Of all of the dangers of electricity involving kids, outlets are probably the scariest, and for good reason. They’re right down there at a kid’s eye level, and they see us using them all of the time, so of course they’re going to be curious.

• Outlet covers. You’ve probably seen these little plastic or rubber covers. Just slide on right into an unoccupied outlet, and bam, safety—or is it? Honestly speaking, we wouldn’t recommend them. They are very easy to remove, even for a toddler, and they will do very little to dissuade a curious mind.
• Tamper-proof outlets. These are the real deal. They use spring-loaded shutters to cut off access to outlets completely when  the outlet isn’t in use, and since it uses a dual-lock, the outlet is safe from everything from butter knives to tiny fingers.

If you want to learn more about safe outlets, check out our blog on the topic: Are Childproof Outlets Really Safe?

Proofing Electrical Strips

Again, there they sit, right on the ground, full of potentially dangerous plugs. The solution is simple here, too, and you can go about it one of two ways:

1. Use specially-designed strips. There are some really great products on the market that feature dome or box covers for strips, or there are strips that feature the cover as an addition. They’re kind of ugly, but hey, they do the trick just fine.
2. Reduce your dependence on strips. Why do you use power strips in the first place? Because you have too few outlets! The easiest solution here, both for you just in general, and for your kiddo, is to just install more safe outlets. Outlet installation is fast and easy for a professional electrician, and can bring you all of the safe electrical access you’ll ever need.

General Electrical Safety

We would urge parents to go room to room, looking for anything and everything that can present a danger. Get down there at kid level and really get a look!

• Trippable cords. Get shorter cords, tape them down, or buy covers that hide them safely.
• Unsafe outlets. Get tamper-proof outlets! The NFPA requires them (as of 2014), and they’re way safer for your kids.
• Damaged wiring. Damaged wiring should be immediately repaired or replaced.

Electrical Safety in Tampa with Hoffman Electrical & A/C

Need a team of professionals that are dedicated to the best solutions for safety and electrical security for you and your family? Contact Hoffman Electrical & A/C today!