Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To remind people of the danger of socket covers

90 replies

FannyFeatures · 28/04/2019 09:08

I've seen these mentioned in a few threads recently regarding baby proofing/safety equipment and worse, are still sold by many reputable retailers.

Placing a "plug" into the socket opens up the safety latch and activates the circuit.

Information on the dangers here www.fatallyflawed.org.uk

They are no longer authorised for use in child/health care services for this reason.

OP posts:
MabelMoo23 · 28/04/2019 09:16

Nope, not unreasonable at all.

No socket covers are needed for UK sockets

brizzlemint · 28/04/2019 09:21

No, totally not unreasonable. They make a safe system (in the UK) more dangerous.

SinkGirl · 28/04/2019 09:31

The thing is I know they’re more dangerous and yet having uncovered sockets in my boys room scares me - it’s conditioning I guess!

donquixotedelamancha · 28/04/2019 09:33

YANBU:. www.fatallyflawed.org.uk

Oakenbeach · 28/04/2019 09:35

Mine are beyond that age now but assumed I was being safer having them!

They’re pretty difficult to get out though, so difficult to see how they add to the risk... I wonder if there are any recorded incidents of electrocution as a result of them.

Oakenbeach · 28/04/2019 09:37

@donquixotedelamancha

Good article. I stand corrected.

donquixotedelamancha · 28/04/2019 09:37

Doh, clearly hung over as didn't read OP properly :-)

justforthis7 · 28/04/2019 09:39

I had no idea! Is there any kind of alternative? Or do we just leave sockets bare?

MustardScreams · 28/04/2019 09:39

YANBU in the slightest, it’s madness how many people don’t know how dangerous they are.

Thanks op

Monny1 · 28/04/2019 09:42

I never knew that.

donquixotedelamancha · 28/04/2019 09:44

I wonder if there are any recorded incidents of electrocution as a result of them.

A few. Mostly where the child has either broken off the top prong or turned it upside down.

They are dangerous because if a child puts something into a socket they will not be harmed (UK system really is the best in the world) but with a cover in it the socket is permanently open/live.

That said, I believe they cause fires more commonly than electrocution.

madroid · 28/04/2019 09:45

Well done Caroline Haslett!

OrchidInTheSun · 28/04/2019 09:46

Just leave them bare justforthis.

Original poster
FannyFeatures · 28/04/2019 09:46

Sockets are best left bare.

My brother is an electrician and was the one to first tell me about this a few years ago after being called to a house where the fuses kept tripping for no apparent reason.

Every socket either had a plug in it or a socket cover, which meant an entire house of live circuits. One of these was burning slowly from the inside melting the cover prongs to the point where a chunk of the socket crumbled out. Luckily it was found on time and no damage or harm was done!

He also pointed out that it's almost impossible to lodge an item in a UK plug far enough to surpass the safety catch so there is no need for covers at all.

OP posts:
Breastfeedingworries · 28/04/2019 09:49

I didn’t know this, thanks for posting we sell them at mothercare x

Iputthescrewinthetuna · 28/04/2019 09:50

@FannyFeatures thank you for bringing this up! I have 3 kids and have socket covers everywhere! I will be taking them out now!
Why is this not more 'known?'
I am not an overly safe person! My home is childproof for my kids, but other kids I feel have more protected home IYSWIM. I just thought plug protectors were a must due to electrics being so bloody dangerous!
Thanks op

lippi · 28/04/2019 09:50

I absolutely never knew this and never heard of it. Thankfully I am way past that stage now but its something maternity wards should be sharing with mothers of new borns.

liontigerzebra · 28/04/2019 09:52

I will tell people I know, I had no idea and used them myself in the past!

IceRebel · 28/04/2019 09:53

I shudder every time I see them in nurseries or people's houses. Completely unnecessary, there's nothing wrong with bare sockets.

TheTreeHearsYourSecret · 28/04/2019 09:57

MK safety sockets are specifically designed to only allow an electrical connection if all 3 pins are inserted meaning you can leave them cover-less.

So you can't turn to safety cover cap upside down and insert just 1 pin into it.

www.mkelectric.com/en-gb/AboutUs/Our_Brands_Values/Safety/Pages/default.aspx

RandomUsernameHere · 28/04/2019 09:58

Thanks for posting OP, I had no idea. Going upstairs to remove covers now!

Charley34 · 28/04/2019 10:00

Thank you OP as I didn't know about this at all.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/04/2019 10:02

I try! Whenever I see them I add a note to whicver hosue report I am writing, including a link to further information.

One landlord has stopped using me because of my "scaremongering" but that hasn't stopped me. It's just one of the additional safety reports I choose to do in my job!

MadisonMontgomery · 28/04/2019 10:02

Wait, so should you not leave anything plugged in but switched off?

EL2019 · 28/04/2019 10:03

Annoyingly when we were being approved for being adopters we were told we must have socket covers in our house so I had to buy a load to prove readiness.
It’s ridiculous that this was official guidance.