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Did you know plug safety inserts are dangerous?
Keeping your family safe is important, however not all products advertised truly keep you and your children safe from harm.
Plug safety covers claim to keep children from playing with live sockets, however all UK sockets are already designed to be safe. They feature a shutter system which provides protection against access to the live and neutral contacts.
When you plug in a safety cover, a number of issues can happen:
- Socket contact damage -results in overheating and possible fire
- Socket shutter damage - the shutters will not be able to protect children
- Some socket covers make it possible to poke pins and paper clips into the live parts!
- Broken plastic pins stuck in the earth hole - prevents shutters from closing
- Wrong size pins can make covers easy to remove, some even pop out by themselves!
- Children like to play with socket covers - plugging in upside down opens the shutter and exposes live contacts
The dangers of using these socket covers has been highlighted by the Fatally Flawed campaign. Their website has a wealth of information on socket covers.
The Department of Health has issued an alert notice to warn of the dangers of using socket covers. The alert notice requires all socket covers in use within the Department of Health facilities and estates to be withdraw and disposed of. The NHS also released a statement about plastic socket covers “Socket inserts should not be used in health or social care premises, nor supplied for use in a home or residence. Any socket covers currently in use should be withdrawn from use and responsibly disposed of.”
We recommend immediate dispose of any sockets covers to prevent future damage and accidents.
References:
https://www.cas.mhra.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowledgment/ViewAlert.aspx?AlertID=102494
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/