PARENTS are being urged to throw away a “dangerous” baby proofing product that millions of households use everyday.
Plug protectors are one of the most common tools families use to protect their children from the dangers of electric shocks.
But a report by consumer choice website Which? has suggested parents part ways with the popular safety tool over fears they could do more harm than good.
This is because design disrupts the existing safety mechanisms inside standard UK plug sockets, it warned.
A typical British 13 amp socket is already safe and features a plastic shutter which shuts when the socket is empty.
This shutter intends to provide a barrier against 230 volts of electricity or your baby’s fingers
However, tools such as plastic plug protectors can actually open up these shutters, which poses a threat to your child’s safety.
Experts at Which? also say if the item intended to protect your child is inserted incorrectly, for example upside down or snapped in half, it can do more damage to the shutter.
Even worse, electricians have warned they can damage the internal connections and increase the risk of electrical arcing leading to melted or singed sockets.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the NHS have also warned against their use.
“It is understandable that we want to do all we can to protect our children from the dangers of electricity and can therefore understand why people are attracted to plug socket covers,” Steve Cole, director of policy, campaigns and public affairs at RoSPA, said.
“However, the truth is that they can be more dangerous than having a bare socket.”
“That’s why we agree with Which?’s latest report, and that the safest approach to childproofing your electrical outlets is essentially to leave them untouched,” he added.
The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESF) also told The Sun it recommends parents not to use the devices.
A statement reads: “The ESF recommends avoiding the usage of removable outlet covers.
“A study conducted by Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, USA, found that 100% of all two- to four-year-olds were able to remove one type of plastic outlet covers within 10 seconds.”
Why are plug covers dangerous?
STEVE COLE from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) explains exactly why plug covers are dangerous
Many domestic and commercial plug sockets are equipped with built-in safety features, such as protective shutters, to safeguard the live components.
However, when plug socket covers are used, they bypass these shutters, leaving the live parts exposed and creating a potential hazard.
Due to the incompatibility between plug socket covers and the sockets, they are prone to coming loose. This not only exposes the socket but also risks causing damage that could lead to electrocution, overheating, and fire.
HOW TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE
Parents are being encouraged to teach children about the dangers of touching a plug, rather than using the covers.
Harry Kind, consumer rights expert at Which?, said: “If you are concerned about young children around plug sockets, we recommend that you pack your electric cables neatly away and as far out of reach as possible.
He added: “You might also want to turn off any outlets you’re not using, or block them off using large furniture pieces such as a sofa.”
Instead, it is recommended that the best way to baby-proof your electrical outlets is to just leave them alone.
One cost effective tip consumer rights expert Martyn James gave was to look at things from your baby’s perspective.
You can do this by lying on the floor and looking around at items in your in your house from this view.
“We as adults tend to look down on things we don’t tend to look and look up like a baby does,” he said.
“The things that we tend to overlook because they look safe on first grounds, are probably the first things that your child will use to haul themselves up into a standing position.”
He added: “Those are the things that you need to check. Ask yourself, is this going to topple over and squish the baby or is this going to break open?”
It is important to stay vigilant and up to date on items that could put your child in harms way.
Sometimes retailers recall products if they notice a dangerous fault in the item.
Last month, Next noticed a problem with its three pack of footless yellow, white and blue sleep suits and issued a return notice.
You can read more about the issue here.
It comes after iCandy announced a voluntary recall of the Orange 4 pushchair due to a potential safety issue, effective immediately.
The brand has halted all sales of this specific pram following the discovery of a potential manufacturing defect that could pose a risk to young babies.
In most cases, products are pulled because there is a safety risk to customers.
Elsewhere, the CocoMelon JJ Interactive Learning Doll is being pulled from shelves following safety concerns.