When it comes to health and safety, the UK’s 13-amp plug socket is an impressive feat.
There are the switches (which other countries notably lack) and then there are the plastic shutters that close when the socket is empty to prevent electric shocks.
But now, parents attempting to solidify the safety of their plug sockets by using child safety tools have been warned that they could be putting their children at risk and actually increasing the possibility of electric shocks, as well as fire hazards.
Experts have urged parents to chuck away the plastic safety clips (that insert into the wall like a regular plug would) as soon as possible – noting that they could be causing more harm than good.
‘A lot of parents buy these socket guards thinking they’ll protect their kids from electric shocks, but experts say they actually increase the risk to your child,’ comparison site Which? noted in a recent Instagram post.
Which? described the 13-amp socket as a ‘triumph of safety by design,’ with the most important being the plastic shutters.
‘When a socket is empty, these doors close shut, providing a barrier between 230 volts of electricity and baby fingers. The only thing that opens them is the earth pin on one of these plugs…or something with the exact same size and shape’ the video adds, referencing the plastic safety guards.
‘Leaving these plastic protectors in place provides the perfect tool for young experimenters to put themselves in harm’s way.
‘Inserted upside down opens the shutters, snapped in half opened the shutters, [and] even putting these in correctly can undo all of the safety features that are inherent in the plug itself.’
Not only this, but the safety device can also ‘increase the risk of electrical arcing,’ which can lead to melted or even singed plug sockets.
Both the NHS and the Department of Health previously warned parents and nurseries not to use them, writing in a 2016 report that ‘in certain circumstances, the use of plastic 13A electrical socket inserts (sold as safety accessories), can overcome the safety features designed into socket outlets.’
‘13A electrical socket inserts should not be used in health or social care premises, nor supplied for use in a home or residence,’ the report added, further recommending that ‘any socket inserts currently in use should be withdrawn and responsibly disposed of.’
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