# How dangerous are outlets really?



## JMJ

14 month old DD learned a new trick... how to pull the little plastic outlet covers out. I'm just wondering how dangerous they actually are. How many children have actually been injured or killed by outlets? It seems like it would be pretty hard to get a finger in there, and I don't let her walk around the house with forks.


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## Letitia

Maybe this is just one of those odd things, but I have two adult friends who were injured by outlets as toddlers. One stuck a random little wire she found into the outlet and was knocked out, had to go to ER, etc, the other stuck a butter knife in and doesn't really know what happened to her. We are using outlet covers that you have to twist to plug something into. If your son is interested enough in them to be removing the covers, I'd be concerned.


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## FatherOf2

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JMJ* 
14 month old DD learned a new trick... how to pull the little plastic outlet covers out. I'm just wondering how dangerous they actually are. How many children have actually been injured or killed by outlets? It seems like it would be pretty hard to get a finger in there, and I don't let her walk around the house with forks.

REALLY? She's figured out how to get those things out!??! Ask her to tell me how because I sure can't!! I end up a sweaty bloody mess after losing a fight to a piece of plastic!

There is a bit of argument concerning socket design and the claim that inserts deactivate the already in place safety mechanisms. For example, some sockets are designed with a sort of internal trapped door of sorts that requires another influence to act upon it before it allows for electrical connection. I know these are found in the UK. The US has designs that contain "safety mechanisms" as well.

Do you have sockets that have these safety mechanisms? Do safety covers deactivate these internal safety mechanisms? Those are the questions to get answered.

As far as "how dangerous are wall sockets?": it takes roughly 65-100mA _flowing through you_, to stop your heart.... The typical wall socket carries 20,000mA or, 20amps. Now, the human body can have up to roughly 300 ohms resistance, so in terms of touching a line current, probably 5-10amps for death for an adult but that is dependent on a lot of factors. In short, are they dangerous? Hell yeah. Can they kill you? Without question. 100% chance of death? Nah. Worth protecting your child from? For sure. Like I said, figure out if your sockets are internally "safe" and if the wall clips you have hinder their qualities.

If your child is clever enough to get those things out of the socket, she's probably clever enough to get something in. Fingers and forks are not the only concerns. I'm looking at my desk right now. It contains many things that are seemingly harmless if my daughter were to get her hands on them BUT, the combo of them and the wall socket...... bad news.

I'd say, with the limited information I have, find a better socket protector. The ones we have are insanely difficult to remove.


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## luv-my-boys

I worked in a pedi ER and let me tell you LOTS of kids get shocked because of outlet plugs, some are no more than stunned and some have had some very serious injuries. Frankly I would just invest in some new outlet covers the kind that you have to slide the portion open and self close when nothing is plugged into them.

you would be suprised at what has caused kids to be electricuted and very few were actually things like utensils. Stuff like a tiny twist tie they found or even their own finger (wet from mouthing-older outlets have larger openings and frankly you dont need the finger to be directly put into to cause a problem.


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## ~cassie

We have always done outlet covers but I never saw the big deal. Until I had a slightly wet finger(after washing) and stupidly messed with the plug--I think I plugged/unplugged something, and boy, that was quite a jolt! Can't imagine if I had actually stuck my finger in it like a child could.


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## MusicianDad

And just to reiterate, because it's important, there are a million and one other things a child can stick in there that will conduct electricity. I also recommend the sockets with the twisty covers.


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## sbgrace

When I taught there was a child permanently and severely disabled by an accident (on his 2nd birthday no less







).
I got the kind that replace the actual outlet cover. It was a pain in the rear for my husband because he had to convert all the outlets themselves to three prong or something like that to use them. At any rate, we did it.
FWIW, I got a shock once cleaning around an outlet with a damp cloth (not over the top but I apparently got too close). It was scary. A wet hand on it is enough and she's handling it already.


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## karika

I was shocked as a small child. It was an old house. There were no outlet protectors back then. I stuck something in the hole. I would find a way to keep the child away from that. I am in awe that a 14 mo could pull those out. Must be faulty or something, it takes way more force than a 14 mo could muster to pull mine out. I had a safe room I created for dd1 when she was small, I put the furniture pieces in front of the outlets (ones that couldn't tip over). We never spent any time in there, but I wanted to have a space for her if necessary.


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## lonegirl

I bought new covers that you had to slide accross to get the plug into. Fortunately DS was never interested either way...and we always stressed the impotance of not touching. http://perfectlysafe.stores.yahoo.ne...safeplate.html


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## mamaof5boys

We had the same issue with the twins at a very young age- but FWIW, many of our outlet covers are the slide across or twist the plug kind and they figured those out at the same time too. Many of my adult friends can't even figure them out and the twins will show them how to plug stuff in. I just really try to watch closely and taught them about outlet safety.


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## JMJ

Wow. My mom teases me for even using outlet covers in the first place. They're just the basic piece of plastic that you stick in the outlet. It's not hard to pull out as long as you can get a finger underneath the side of the plastic, and those tiny little toddler fingers are perfect for the job. She's only managed it with one set of outlets, but she's trying with another set right now. She does have an obscession with outlets, so it sounds like I need to get some better ones... and fast, at least for the main "safe" part of the house. She did something with some of my cupboard locks that I had left off while cooking, and she was playing with them. I cleaned the house, and I still haven't found them. I've got enough to lock up the most dangerous stuff, but I should probably get some more. Maybe we'll make a stop by Toys-R-Us today since we'll be going through that part of town today. I hate shopping there, but Target is twice as far away, and the local Kroger brand store only has the ones I already am using.


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## Polliwog

A little girl that attended the school where I taught licked an outlet and burned her whole mouth and tongue.


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## SilverFish

my sister electrocuted herself with a cheap metal bangle that was in our dress-up box. i'd find some new covers!


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## laughymama

I didn't think it was too big of a deal when my 2 year old took all the covers out.

Then he decided to spit a mouthful of juice into the outlet.









Thank heavens he was not injured seriously. He got a bit of a shock and hasn't gone near them again. Needless to say we invested in some of the more heavy duty, childproof outlet covers after that.

When we move into the new house, that's the very first thing on our agenda. I'll have an infant and a toddler so I'd rather have peace in my mind about it. I don't think I could comfortably do dishes or not chase them around every second of the day without the covers.


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## JessicaS

My two year old can take off the cap type of outlet covers as well.









We are going to have to get something different. The sliding plate covers seem like a good option.


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## Tjej

How new are your plug ins? We had older ones in our house when we moved in which we progressively replaced as we renovated. Some of the older ones the outlet protecters were a lot easier to take out. So new outlets might solve your problem (if yours ARE old in the first place).

Tjej


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## JessicaS

The covers we have are new. We bought new ones when ds started being mobile.


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## beckyand3littlemonsters

I'm glad i saw this thread as my ds can take out our covers and has a fascination with switching the plug on and off and putting in/taking out the cover.
I did a search on google to find better socket covers in the uk and found this video


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## an_aurora

Wow, thanks for the reminder. We are renting and old house and the outlets are horrid--anything plugged in just slips partway out again, so there is exposed metal! I'm going to have DH replace all the outlets and get some better protectors. I had no idea you could get so badly shocked, and we have lots of little fingers in the house.


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## JMJ

We got these. They hook into the bottom circle on the outlet, and you have to press in 3 places simultaneously to make the hook retract so that you can get them out with much difficulty. DD watched us put them in and then went to try to take them out, failed, and started yelling and screaming at the outlets while DH and I tried really hard not to laugh.


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## Tjej

Quote:


Originally Posted by *abimommy* 
The covers we have are new. We bought new ones when ds started being mobile.

I think we missed eachother on this. I don't mean the covers. The outlet itself, if old, might be loose.

Tjej


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## crunchy_mommy

My DS learned to pull the covers out at 10 or 11mos (basically, right after we put them in).







And we had new outlets & new covers too. He is the type to figure out pretty much anything so I'm worried that new covers would just cause an increased interest (new challenge to master) plus I heard something about the sliding covers being a fire hazard??? I'm not really sure WHAT to do, I think he'd leave them alone more if I just leave them as is... but that scares me too.


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## dachshund mom

Any tips for dealing with a toddler that pulls out cords that are plugged into an outlet? How dangerous is it? DD lately is obsessed with unplugging the computer power cord, lamps, radio, or anything she can find then trying to plug them back in.

DH was knocked out as a child when he touched an outlet with a wet hand.


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## MusicianDad

You can get a plastic cover that locks into place and prevents anyone from unplugging them without first opening the cover.

Something like this.


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