7 Electrical Home Safety Tips You Need to Know! #NoSafeShock
Electrical Home Safety Tips You Need to Know!
Before you become a parent, you research, and you prepare. You make arrangements to bring your new bundle of joy home and one of the most important things you do is baby-proof the house. One of the biggest dangers we try to protect our kids from is electric shock and injury.
I don’t have babies in my home anymore but, I still worry about them getting shocked. The same measures I took to protect them then, I use now. Just a bit different. If you think back, I’m sure you can remember a time when you plugged in a plug the wrong way or pulled it out and you felt a shock. I know that when I was a teenager, I was plugging in my hair dryer and suddenly, I got a quick shock. I let go of the hair dryer quickly but, not only did it hurt, it scared me.
Actually, the majority of Ontarians say they have been shocked. But, we just tend to brush it off. But research has shown that low-voltage shock can cause serious long-term after effects. Symptoms like the feeling of pins and needles, numbness, memory loss and anxiety. The good news is that all electrical shocks are preventable! Read on for more information and helpful electrical home safety tips you need to know!
1. Inspect Your House
Look around your house and inspect all the power outlets. If your outlet has a missing or broken cover plate, replace it immediately. The cover plates are designed to build a barrier between your kids and exposed wires.
Watch for signs of electrical hazards like dim, flickering or surging lights, fuses that blow often, and outlets that don’t work after the breaker is reset. If you have any of these warning signs in your home, it’s a good idea to have a Licensed Electrical Contractor in to take a look.
2. Make Them Resistant
I have older kids and I am glad to have tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles (outlets). These are great for little hands or curious little ones that may feel tempted to stick fingers or other things into the outlets. Having tamper-resistant outlets throughout your home definitely helps to prevent shocks.
3. Keep It Out of Sight
Little ones are very curious and often explore by putting everything in their mouths. Heck, even bigger kids try things they shouldn’t. A good practice is to keep cords away from little hands and mouths. This is a serious shock hazard, so make sure that when you unplug something, you put it away or out of reach.
4. Teach & Practice What You Preach
Older kids are susceptible to getting shocks too. Be sure to show them how to plug in and unplug safely. Since they have so many gadgets, they can often overload the outlets by plugging in too many cords. Teach them to use an approved power bar that has surge protection instead. When it’s time to unplug, don’t yank cords from the wall. This can damage the gadget, the cord and the outlet too.
Make sure you lead by example, that way they can follow. Give them your tips. Did your toast get stuck in the toaster? Unplug the toaster before you go reaching in and never use cutlery to get it out! Sometimes, what we think is obvious, they may have never thought of.
5. Don’t Depend on Tape
Tape is not meant to protect from shocks. If a cord is frayed, the best thing to do is to replace it. Extension cords should only be used temporarily and if they get cracked or frayed, they may become a fire hazard. So, make sure you keep an eye on cords and replace them accordingly!
6. Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
Water and electricity can be a deadly mix. Bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms should be equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters. They’re the ones with reset buttons and they help prevent shocks. Also, never remove a plug when your hands are wet, or if you’re touching a metal object. Plus, don’t forget to test them once a month!
7. Don’t DIY Electrical Work
Let’s face it, we’ve all tried to save a few pennies at one point in our lives. But when it comes to electrical work, let the experts do it and hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor. This will help you to prevent electric shocks and fire hazards since they’re required to know and follow the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
If you have the skill-set to do the electrical in your home, just make sure you take out the proper permits. It’s important to have a record of the work and to confirm it was done safely and to code.
Sometimes, we can’t prevent shocks and when they happen, it can be a bit scary. The best thing to do is to seek medical attention if anyone in your home has been shocked. I always say it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Our kids are little sponges and they watch more than we know. So, be a good safety role model and they’ll take your lead!
Ready to WIN?
To inspire you to take on electrical safety head-on, one lucky Whispered Inspirations reader will win a $50 Home Depot gift card! This giveaway is open to Canada only. It opens on Oct. 27 and closes on Nov. 15.
For more information about electrical safety, visit Electrical Safety Authority. Get social and connect with them on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates!
Hopefully, now that you are armed with these electrical home safety tips, you can prevent shocks and keep your family safe.
How do you keep your kids safe from electrical shock?
Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!
Note: This post is sponsored by the Electrical Safety Authority. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
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Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
These are such great tips. Many of us teach our kids all about fire safety, but we tend to put childproof plugs in our sockets and call it a day.
We should definitely teach them. 🙂
These are awesome and thorough tips! It is something to think about BEFORE an accident that could happen!
Exactly!
I like the tip about not relying on tape. We are guilty in our household of fixing fraying electrical cords with electrical tape. The safest thing to do is replace the cord completely.
That really is the best bet.
Definitely do not pull plugs out of the wall by there cord, can do damage.
I agree!
That’s a good reminder for every parent not just of the little ones. Shock can be fatal and it’s important that we take the necessary measures to keep the kids safe.
Yes, this is so true!
I once got an electrical sock when I tried to plug in something with wet hands.
Oh no!
I used a frayed cord and did get a lil jolt unplugging it! Not smart at all
I always check my electrical cords – if they are frayed or show damage – I will have the cord or the appliance replaced immediately!
A great practice!
I keep cover in my electrical outlets so little ones can’t stick anything in them.
when I was a teen I experienced an electrical shock out electric kettle shorted out when I was unplugigng it, burned a hole in my finger and scared the daylights out of me, for years I wouldn’t use an electric kettle
OMG, I do not blame you at all!
We do have covers over all outlets we do not use.
Good idea!
Replace older extension cords with new ones that have updated safety features such as a prong for grounding.
Great idea!
OH yes this is super important, if you are lucky to build your home I think it is so important to keep them out of sight!
Yes!
thanks for the safety reminders – always welcome.
Awesome!
Do not overload plugs, definitely a safety hazard!
That is so true!
BEEN zapped enough times by toasters that I know enough to unplugged them when toast get stuck lol
Oh no!
I think you covered any tips I would have. With so many gadgets nowadays, we are sure to provide our older kids with powerbars and teach them how to plug in and unplug properly.
Yes!
I was very surprised to learn that even little shocks are not okay!
Thankful that no one in our house has experienced a shock.
Always check your cords for frays!
I have used tape before but, do not do that anymore. Better safe than sorry!
I recommend to start informing kids really young about the dangers of electricity. That’s what I did with my children and they seemed to have understood well. we’ve never had any incidents.
Same here, we have not had any incidents either.
I have a brother who’s an electrician., so handy.
OMG, that would be helpful!
I have used electrical tape before but am now going to replace frayed cords instead.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
I remember my nephew put a key in a socket and it blew a piece right off the corner of the key.
Oh my goodness, that must have been so scary!
Thank you for hosting great giveaways.
My pleasure!
Always turn off the power before working on electrical outlets; unplug appliances, lamps etc. before repairing them.
So true!
My tip is to get a professional to do all the electrical work in your home. Better safe than sorry!
Completely agree!
We use electrical safety covers in outlets in our home.
Awesome!
My Dad who is a contractor changed all the outlets in the house to tamper-resistant as soon as we had our first nephew (their first grandson) to be safe. Great tips!
What a great dad and grandpa.
This is so important. I always put those plastic things in the wall sockets so that my child couldn’t shock themselves. A small shock is no joke.
It really is not a joke!
These are great tips! My daughter has always been inquisitive when it comes to things she should NOT be playing with lol. We have furniture in front of most of our electrical outlets.
That is a deterrent for sure.
I have never had an electrical shock.
That is awesome, it is definitely not pleasant.
I have been lucky enough not to ever get shocked.
So lucky!
Luckily I have never had a shock but hubby has a couple times when he hasn’t been being careful.
Definitely have to be careful. 🙂
When I was a kid, I pushed a metal necklace into an exposed outlet in our basement & got a huge jolt! It was so scary! I think both my parents & I learned a lesson in electrical safety that day!
Oh my goodness. That must have freaked all of you out.
My best electrical safety tip is to really never do diy electrical work in your home. We moved into a house where the previous owner did their own electrical fixes and we had afew nasty surprises!!
Oh no, that is not a good surprise at all.
Always follow appliance instructions carefully, and do not attempt amateur repairs or upgrades.
Yes, always bring in the pros.
I experience an electrical shock when I was a teenager, I turn on the radio while I step in a tiny puddle of water. I was wearing shoes and didn’t realize I step in water.
Oh no!
No shocking experiences to share.
We use tamper resistant receptacles in our home to keep little fingers safe!
So important!
When I moved into my apartment in Toronto, the oven was horribly dirty with dried stuck-on food. I cleaned it and while doing so, got a shock when I touched the bottom element with my hands. I took off my gloves to get to the nitty gritty details. I didn’t take out the electrical plug as I needed to see the inside of the oven. I told my landlord about it and I was given a new stove/oven replacement. After this incident, I am more careful about cleaning the stove and oven with any liquid and wear gloves when I do.
Oh my goodness, I am glad you are okay.
I’ve been lucky and have not had such experience
Home safety and in particular electrical safety is so important for all.
I was surprised to read that even little shocks are not good.
My fav is dont work on your own electric… i picture horrible things happening
Potential nightmares for sure!
My best tips to stay safe would be to cover the outlets and check all extention cords for wear or damage. #NoSafeShock
I always tape long electrical cords out the of way so you can’t trip on them.
Good one!
Always install a GFCI plugs in areas where water and electrical might have a chance of mixing – kitchen & bathroom.
Yes, that is definitely a must.
I always ask my brother to do anything electricity related ahah
Education is the key to safety!
So true!
I learned that even those little shocks are not safe.
We always discuss electrical safety with our children.
It is very important!
Turn off the device before pulling the plug. Sparks are never a good sign.
Yes, you are right!
No shocks in our house!
Awesome!
I was very surprised that even those small shocks are not good.
Yes, they can definitely have an impact.
We cover our sockets with plastic baby proof socket covers from IKEA and they work great!
That is awesome
We had a bathroom light that sometimes would turn on with no problem, but other times needed us to bang on the wall to get it to turn on. Definitely a sign that something was wrong, and probably a fire danger. When we updated our fixtures, the problem stopped. I assume it was a loose connection that just needed to be dealt with.
That is scary, mine is starting to flicker. Need to call a pro!
Replace frayed cords right away!
Yes, this is a big one!
I didn’t know any electrical safety tips, so I’m very grateful for yours! I’m fortunate to never have received a shock.
My pleasure, thank goodness you have never. It is not pleasant!
We use safety plugins
Good idea!
Thanks for hosting great giveaways 🙂
Glad you host great giveaways.
Use the plug covers if you have little ones around that might stick something into the plugs.
So dangerous to leave them uncovered.
We keep all the outlets sealed with false plugs
Yes, this is a great practice.
I was very surprised to find out even those little shocks are not safe.
Yes!
Always keep kids away from the electrical plugs and all cords if possible.
Yes, so much of this!
i was very surprised that there is no such thing as a safe shock
Yes, even if we think it is just a zap, it can still do damage.
i really don’t remember how it happened but I remember plugging in my hair dryer and i got an electric shock. it never happened again
Same thing happened to me and I became more aware of how I unplugged and plugged in.
Electricity has to be respected if not you could experience an awful shock or possible death,we always keep a cover on the outlets unless in use.
You are so right!
I appreciate your blog.
Thanks!
We have safety covers on all outlets.
I think a good tip is to always hire a professional to do any electrical work in your place.
I am so glad that are boys stayed away from any shocking experiences.
I got a little buzz on time when I tried to remove a cord from an outlet that I hadn’t realized the dog had chewed, it was nothing much but you could feel the tingle.
We need to teach kids the proper way to remove a cord
We use outlet covers and we make sure to keep power bars and electrical cords neatly tucked away.
Don’t pull the cord out by its length. Use the plug part directly for removal.
I got a shock from an outlet when I was a child. I will NEVER forget it!! It hurt and I got scared.
I once touched a metal toaster on its side and a metal table underneath it at a friend’s restaurant and felt quite a buzz! Scary stuff.
We like to keep unused outlets plugged!
I think it is important to not use extension cords unless you have to and only for short term use.
I cover all my outlets with plug protectors
one thing i was told was to get on youre knees and crawl around and you can really see youre outlets also good to see what little hands can gt into best tip i ever did
Love your blog! I think keeping outlets covered from kids is key. Also placing light fixtures out of the way is ideal. I always remember when I was a kid my dad taking his shirt off in a hotel room (he’s over 6ft) and his hand hit the light fixture and it smashed all over him and shocked him. totally dangerous!
Thanks so much!!! OMG, that is so scary.
Definitely use the plastic socket covers to keep fingers out!
everyone in our home is old enough now to understand, but i do block off my outlets or plug them with safety plugs when i have little ones coming over so that no one needs to worry
I’ve never had a shock since my mom always told me electricity was scaring when I was a little kid.
thank fully i have never experienced an electrical shock. We make sure that we have plugs in our outlets at all times and when we have to plug something in, we leave the plug nearby so we remember to put it back in when we are done with it
Keep outlets plugged till children are old enough to know the dangers
My tip, try not to use extension cords, if you have no choice make sure they are in good condition and that nothing is covering them.
I think it is important to teach kids from a young age how to use electrical appliances properly and not to stick anything into outlets.
My oldest daughter was plugging in her hair drier and had her necklace in her hand and it went in the socket and shocked her
I appreciate all the great giveaways!
Taping electrical cords is a definite no-no. Had done it when I was young and almost burned our house down as the cord has started the carpet on fire
Do not use electrical tape to repair frayed cords, either get a new cord or replace whatever item the cord is on.
Do not use extension cords .
A good idea is to use the sliding civer plates for your wall sockets.
My tip is don’t let your Dad do any electrical – mine helped and had all the switches in upside down. I have learned it worth paying a professional to do it.
We use plug covers when not in use
If you need electrical work done, call in the professionals
Many of our outlets are covered with false plugs that the children cannot remove (even mommy has a hard time sometimes haha) and we teach them that they can get hurt if they were to stick anything in it.
All really tips thanks,we keep the outlet covered!
I think it is a good idea to check all your cords periodically to make sure they are all in good shape and nothing is frayed.
We just purchased a new home and had all of our electrical wall sockets replaced to be child proof! They now make new covers that do not need the safety plug ins.
I keep covers in my electrical outlets
Almost the weekend, hope you enjoy yours.
I have experienced a bad shock before and I can tell you that it is not a very pleasant experience so be careful!
Don’t overload the circuits.
I hope you have a good long weekend.
Have a professional do any electrical repairs!
I always kept my little ones away from outlets. Currently I allow the air straightener left around plugged int.
Turn off appliances, lights etc before you proceed to unplug them.
Today is a day to Remember those who have fought and served for our freedoms, I say thank you and we will always Remember.
We will never forget!
It’s not really a shock, but long ago I lived in an apartment in Toronto where if I had two appliances on at the same time anywhere in the apartment, (like making coffee and doing my hair), I’d always burn out a fuse. I went through so many fuses. I’m sure something was super wonky about the electrical in there.
Wow!
We teach the kids from young the dangers until then we keep them covered!
Don’t plug in anything with wet hands.
Hope your weekend is going well.
Thanks, you too!
Tip: avoid huge electrical cord “spiders” (Lots of cords plugged into one outlet). We have so many items needing power these days, that it’s hard to find enough outlets, so it’s tempting to keep adding power strips.
Great tip!
I’ve got no other helpful tips. I have a very healthy fear of getting a shock, so I don’t take any unnecessary chances…
Definitely put on plug covers if you have little hands around.
Checking extension cords regularly as they tend to fray more often than other cords is a good idea!
I’ve taught my kids to pull the cord from the plug, not yank it out by the cord.
Use a power bar if you have to plug in a lot of things.
Very interesting blog post!
Sliding plug covers are the best choice.
Don’t stick, forks/knives into toasters that are still plugged in!
we change all our receptacles to the tamper resistant ones. Its much safer.
Teaching children the dangers is the key
Thanks for the giveaway, love be Home Depot.
Thanks for another great giveaway, love your blog!
Thanks for the safety tips, can’t think of any more to add.
Even small shocks can be dangerous so electrical home safety is important.
My nieces and nephews are going to visit our home for the coming month and I was just having a look at how I could child-proof our home for their visit. Your advice on looking around the home and inspecting all power outlets to learn if there are in need of repairs or replacement would really be helpful. I’ll be sure to get an electrician to patch things up if I ever see any problems on our home while looking later. Thanks!
That is awesome!
I like your tip on leaving any electrical work to the professionals to avoid shocks and potential fires. Last night my husband we to turn on the lights in our living room and the entire house went dark. I think we are going to need to call an electrician in to help us figure out what is wrong with our wiring. Hopefully, I can find one in our area that will work well for us.
It can be scary. We recently had some issues too. We got a pro, it is not worth doing it ourselves.
That is such a good safety tip you gave! I will make sure to keep the dangerous electrical components out of sight and reach of the little ones. Do you have any more tips on how doing that? Or, should I ask an experience electrician for help like that?
It is always a good idea to ask an expert.
I love these tips about home electrical safety! The tip that means the most to me is how you said to find a pro doing your electrical work. Having someone around who knows their stuff really cuts down the risk factors.
I really like your advice to teach your kids that they should avoid yanking the power cord out of the wall so that it doesn’t damage the cord or the outlet. My wife and I have been trying to get our young son into some better habits, but we are having some troubles. I will be sure to tell my wife that teaching by example would be a great place to start!