To be surprised the amount of places that still have "child plug safety" things

[JumpyCastle]

This week I've seen them in a coffee shop, a friend's house and a local leisure centre. How is it still so common to have these devices that make a normal plug so much more dangerous?

Where is the daily mail scare story's when you need them?!

[TrashPanda]

It's very difficult to put something in the top hole that will stay there. It's easy to put socket covers in upside down though.

[Alyosha]

adalind - kids often insert them upside down, leaving the current bearing metal exposed.

[sleepingdragon]

A few of my friends have adopted in recent years (from different Local authorities). All 3 of them have had to use plug covers to have their homes assessed as safe to bring their children home too.

[Biker47]

I really don't understand why they are dangerous. So they override the shutters inside the socket - but if A child removes them then the shutters are back to where they should be.

Yes, and then they now have something the perfect size to fit into the earth terminal, so all they have to do is turn it round and stick it in upside down and the live and neutral terminals will be exposed.

[BeyondThePage]

Some of the covers can be put in upside down, so only the earth pin is in the socket, this releases the shutters on the live "hole" allowing a child to poke a finger etc into the live socket.

It is no different to poking a thin stick/screwdriver etc. in the earth socket and the same thing happening.

However, the difference in my opinion is that if you have socket covers you THINK it is safer than not having them, so you maybe spend less time supervising the kids, and less time saying "NO, don't poke anything in the socket EVER."

[UnaOfStormhold]

The problem as I understand it is that the earth pin of the cover lifts the shutters so if the cover is inserted upside down or gets broken then the live contacts are exposed.

[Notevilstepmother]

The sockets are designed not to let fingers in. Plug covers are unnecessary and if turned upside down can be dangerous as they will then over ride the safety feature that stops things being put in. They can also damage the sockets and cause a fire when the socket is used later.

The fatality flawed website is dated, (almost 20 years old) and does look it, but it isn't fake, the electrical industry and the NHS and various other bodies agree with the information given.

Personally I would bin them, they are unnecessary. It is a scam the people selling them are scaremongering. The UK has a well designed system with expert safety features built in. These are just pointless window dressing.

www.cas.dh.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowledgment/ViewAttachment.aspx?Attachment_id=102519


www.belvoirsafety.co.uk/why-electrical-socket-covers-are-a-danger/

www.pacey.org.uk/news-and-views/news/archive/2016-news/october-2016/plug-socket-cover-safety/

[Notevilstepmother]

Sleeping dragon I'm shocked at that. Ofsted and CQC don't require them, the NHS have outright banned them, those local authorities are behind the times.

[Notevilstepmother]

This shows how they can be misused.

[PigletJohn]

Luckymummy

"We still have them in our home. We've read the research so are aware of the dangers but really don't fancy the idea of our boy putting his hand in the socket (he would as he's that way inclined)"

Which country are you in, then?

[Flisspaps]

I had an argument with the ofsted inspector who registered me as a childminder - she flagged up that I didn't have them and I point blank refused. I cited the evidence on the (very poorly designed but accurate) fatally flawed website. She flapped a bit but I don't think she'd thought about the dangers of them before.

Plug sockets in the UK have safety features built in to stop children getting electrocuted. I don't understand why anyone would intentionally override these safety features with something that isn't recommended and isn't proven to improve safety but in fact could present a hazard?!

[NormHonal]

We had them at home until the electrician explained the risks and insisted I remove every single one immediately.

[thepatchworkcat]

Well, I've never heard this before at all!

[Peachypeaches]

I work in a school with a preschool. All of the schools in our local authority have been told by the health and safety team at the council that they must not be used.

[Wilhelminaaa]

Children Centre Sure start gave them to me a year ago... Never used them.

[Notevilstepmother]

The first minute of this shows the shutters.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=UEfP1OKKz_Q

[SafeToCross]

I work in a health setting with children and a policy has been circulated for them not to be used. I think they are still there though.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

There are different types of socket covers available which don't have these issues. DH is a childminder and the inspectors did want them covered so we have a type which goes over the whole socket instead. Also means kids can't decide to turn off something important when you're not looking as they're a bugger to open

[Notevilstepmother]

I think it's sometimes to be proud of that as far back as 1944 our engineers were considering child safety to be a vital feature of household design.

[Roomba]

I'm so glad this is being taken more seriously these days and that official advice seems to have been updated. I had a big row with my health visitor about 10 years ago as she thought I was grossly irresponsible for not using socket covers. I had packs of them foisted on me constantly despite me refusing and explaining why.

[Notevilstepmother]

Those look much more sensible StatisticallyChallenged

[WomblingThree]

Thanks for the picture @Notevilstepmother. I'd just spent five minutes with this face trying to work out how to fit 3 pins upside down . I don't have a 2 year old to ask

[PigletJohn]

Hurrah for the world's finest plug!

[SleepFreeZone]

God I can't get the bastard things out let alone the kids!

[BarbarianMum]

My dbro poked a screwdriver into a plug socket when he was 2. We used plug socket covers - i could barely get them out, kids never attempted it. Other people can do as they please but I've never regreted it.