As soon as little ones start to crawl, the extreme baby-proofing begins. Baby gates are installed, wires tidied away and, for some, every single reachable plug socket is filled with a white plastic socket cover.
But it turns out those plastic socket covers could do more harm than good – increasing the risk of electric shock and fire.
What’s the problem with plug socket protectors?
In an article from Which?, titled ‘Throw away your dangerous plug protectors right now’, the consumer watchdog argued that by using a plug protector, you’re “undoing all of the safety features inherent in a UK socket”.
“Not only are you risking causing shocks or starting an electrical fire, but also melting and damaging the socket itself,” they said.
This is because British 13-amp plug sockets are designed to be extremely safe.
When your plug socket isn’t in use, plastic barriers slide into place, which block the electrical current from getting to any small fingers that are poking around near the holes.
But “when a plug is inserted, the earth pin moves the barrier, and whatever device you’re powering gets electricity,” says Which?.
And because plug socket protectors are typically the same size as a plug, they can override this important safety feature.
According to DRA Pat Testing, protective covers are not made to any British Standard and the pin dimensions tend not to comply with our plugs either.
It’s perhaps no wonder then that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the NHS do not advise people to use them.
And, in June 2016, the Department of Health published an alert about socket safety covers, saying they shouldn’t be used in “health or social care premises, nor supplied for use in a home or residence”.
What can you do instead?
It’s up to you whether you use them.
RoSPA suggested children should be supervised and warned to keep away from plug socket outlets until they are capable of understanding the risks and are able to use them safely.
In the meantime, if you’ve got plug sockets which are particularly interesting to your children, make sure they are switched off when not in use and it might also help to move furniture in front of them so they’re less on show.