The 24 Hour Advice Service has recently taken a couple of calls about the need for childproof socket covers in playgroups and nurseries. Some consultants have also been asked similar questions at visits to their clients. There is a website, Fatally Flawed, campaigning to make them illegal. The site was founded by two members of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and is supported by academics including Dr. Adam Hart Davies, Dr. Johnny Ball and many other academics, doctors, engineers and childcare practitioners.
The controversy is over the question- are children better protected without socket covers than with?
As long ago as 1944 it was recognised that the old 15 and 5 amp round pin sockets in use at the time were open and there was a real risk of children and to a lesser extent adults accidentally contacting live parts. Around this time a government backed committee recommended “that the contacts of the socket-outlet should be protected by shutters or other like means, or by the inherent design of the socket outlet.”
When British Standard 1363 was first introduced in 1947 it contained a basic requirement for shutters to protect the live and neutral contacts. Ten years later in 1957 the requirement was revised and with only minor changes since then has remained the under-pinning requirement for the current shuttered arrangement intended to prevent access to live and neutral terminals until an earth pin has been inserted. Some manufacturers have gone one step further selling sockets that require the earth pin and one or both of the other pins to be inserted before the shutters are released.
So in the 60 years since shutters were required there have been no significant changes to the standard that have required explicit improvement to the shutter arrangements. If there had ever been an issue of children suffering burns or shock from managing to get fingers into plugs it would surely have hit the headlines with calls for official action. In the later years of the last century and up to 2002 the government used to keep records of accidents receiving treatment at A&E departments – known as the Home Accidents Statistical Survey (HASS) it in effect recorded all attendances save work related injuries to employees and road traffic accidents. The data was published annually and the press used to highlight the most common causes of injury. Electricity and sockets did not feature.
The British Standards Institute technical committee responsible for BS1363 meets regularly to review the standard. They have specifically considered the alleged risks to children and have taken the view that there is no identified risk that requires change to the standard.
The Electrical Safety Council has taken a view on socket blanking plugs. Its position is that “there is no ‘significant risk’ to children from 13 Amp socket-outlets fully conforming to the product standard BS1363. Having integral safety shutters, they are widely judged to be of the safest design currently installed in Europe, and the Electrical safety Council is not aware of any incident data to suggest that there is any real or potential problem with this type of socket-outlet.”
Others have considered the issue too. Of particular interest to our clients will be the view from Ofsted. Their September 2011 Bulletin sets out their policy towards socket covers.
“Childcare safety issue – electrical socket covers
Some inspectors are continuing to make judgements about risks to children when inspecting childcare settings where the provider has decided not to use electrical socket covers on exposed sockets.
Our position on the use of electrical socket covers has not changed. We neither encourage nor discourage the responsible use of socket covers as part of a risk-assessed approach to electrical safety.
“In line with the relevant requirements for registration, it is up to each individual registered provider to demonstrate to us that the environment is safe for children and meets legal requirements. It is for the provider to decide, as part of the risk assessment they carry out at their premises, how best to protect children from any dangers associated with electric sockets and appliances.
Inspectors should not set actions or make recommendations in relation to the use of socket covers and should not refer specifically to these in their reports. If a provider is unsure whether or not to use socket covers and asks our advice, we should refer them to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and Child Accident Protection Trust websites for information to help them make a decision about the use of socket covers and the type of sockets considered as ‘safe’.”
the RoSPA website advises-
“Protective Socket Covers for 13-amp Power Outlets
RoSPA recommends that all electrical equipment is stored safely away when not in use and children are 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.
Modern 13-amp power sockets made to BS 1363:1995 incorporate a shutter mechanism, which prevent inappropriate access to the live connectors. RoSPA therefore does not consider it necessary to recommend the use of socket covers.
RoSPA actively discourages the use of decorated socket covers, which are attractive to young children.”
The advice from the Child Accident Protection Trust, on its website, is that “Electric sockets are less dangerous than you might think. They’re designed to prevent toddlers (and anyone else) getting shocks, so they’re quite safe. You do not need socket covers to make them safe, but they might stop young children plugging in appliances that can cause a fire. However, it’s much safer to put appliances away rather than rely on socket covers.”
The view from people in the know is quite clear there is no advantage gained by using socket covers. They don’t take a public view on whether the use of a socket cover increases risk.
However the debate over cover or no cover hides the real issue. In any playgroup, school or similar place where children are present why should children ever be allowed to be in a position where they could be tempted to play with sockets. If clients are managing their business properly, including the elements of health and safety the children will be protected because they have:
• Used furniture and equipment to block access to sockets
• Made sure that children don’t have access to items that could be poked into sockets
• Routinely checked that sockets are not damaged and that shutters work correctly
• Taught, in suitable ways for each age group, children about the dangers of electricity.
The Peninsula position is that properly maintained sockets are designed explicitly to provide child safety. Socket protectors are not therefore necessary and are not required by any enforcing or regulatory authority.
