PARENTS are being urged to throw away a “dangerous” baby protection product that millions of families use every day.
Plug protectors are one of the most common tools families use to protect their children from the dangers of electric shock.
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But a report from consumer choice website Which? has suggested parents ditch the popular security tool over fears it could do more harm than good.
This is because the design breaks existing safety mechanisms within standard UK sockets, he warned.
A typical British 13 amp socket is already safe and contains a plastic shutter which closes when the socket is empty.
This grill is intended to provide a barrier against 230 volts of electricity or your baby’s fingers
However, tools such as plastic stopper protectors can open these shutters, which poses a threat to your child’s safety.
Experts in which? also say if the item intended to protect your child is inserted incorrectly, for example upside down or is torn in half, it can further damage the shutters.
Even worse, electricians have warned that they can damage internal connections and increase the risk of arcing leading to melted or melted plugs.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the NHS have also warned against their use.
“It’s understandable that we want to do everything we can to protect our children from the dangers of electricity and so we can understand why people are drawn to plug covers,” said Steve Cole, director of policy, campaigns and public affairs. in RoSPA. .
“However, the truth is that they can be more dangerous than having a bare plug.”
“That’s why we agree with the latest Who? report, and that the safest approach to childproofing your electrical outlets is basically to leave them untouched,” he added.
The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESF) also told The Sun it recommends parents not use the devices.
A statement reads: “ESF recommends avoiding the use of removable plug covers.
“A study conducted by Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, USA, found that 100% of all two- to four-year-old children were able to remove one type of plastic plug cover within 10 seconds.”
Why are plug caps dangerous?
STEVE COLE from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) explains exactly why plug covers are dangerous
Many household and commercial outlets are equipped with built-in safety features, such as protective shutters, to protect live components.
However, when plug covers are used, they bypass these grills, leaving live parts exposed and creating a potential hazard.
Because of the incompatibility between the plug covers and the plugs, they are prone to loosening. This not only exposes the plug, but also risks causing damage that can lead to electric shock, overheating and fire.
HOW TO KEEP KIDS SAFE
Parents are being encouraged to teach children about the dangers of touching the plug, rather than using the covers.
Harry Kind, consumer rights expert at Which?, said: “If you’re concerned about small children around sockets, we recommend packing electrical cables away and as far away as possible.
He added: “You may also want to turn off any outlets you’re not using, or block them using large pieces of furniture such as a sofa.”
Instead, it is recommended that the best way to childproof your electrical outlets is to simply leave them alone.
One cost-effective tip that consumer rights expert Martyn James gave was to look at things from your child’s point of view.
You can do this by lying on the floor and looking at items in your home from this view.
“We as adults tend to look down on things that we don’t tend to look up to and look up to as a child,” he said.
“Things that we tend to overlook because they seem safe at first are probably the first things your child will use to lift themselves into a standing position.”
He added: “These are the things you have to check. Ask yourself, is this going to roll over and squish the baby or is it going to pop open?”
It’s important to stay alert and up-to-date on things that could harm your baby.
Sometimes retailers recall products if they notice a dangerous defect in the item.
Last month, Next noticed a problem with three packs of yellow, white and blue legless pajamas and issued a recall notice.
You can read more about the issue here.
It comes after iCandy announced a voluntary recall of the Orange 4 chair due to a potential safety issue, effective immediately.
The brand has stopped all sales of this specific stroller after discovering a possible manufacturing defect that could pose a risk to small babies.
In most cases, products are recalled because there is a safety risk to customers.
Elsewhere, the CocoMelon JJ interactive learning doll is being pulled from shelves after safety concerns.