Safety socket covers - UNSAFE
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They should be stamped out completely. I'm surprised Which? and other safety campaigners haven't succeeded in doing that.
No they aren't round sockets so seems I am ok there, thanks. I have had them looked at and advised it is a very old system that needs updating (but that comes at a cost
Instead of banning these covers I think they should should set up a safety standard they need to comply to. I had a friend whos child stuck a thin knife into a socket and smoke came out :eek: they went out and brought covers after that!
There's already a safety standard for things that are inserted into plug sockets (and therefore anything that could be inserted into a plug socket). It's called BS 1363.
Besides not conforming to safety standards, the point is that the covers are completely unnecessary. It is not possible to insert anything into the live or neutral pin holes without first inserting long enough into the earth pin hole.
They would have been better off replacing their obviously broken socket.
The only way the plug-in covers would work, is if they needed a tool to remove them ; but the child must have some sort of tool, in order to poke in the socket hole.
I am reminded of the young girl who was told off by her mother for climbing trees in a skirt.
When she asked why, her mother pointed out that boys would be able to look up and see her knickers.
The following day, the girl was climbing the tree again, and her mother shouted up at her.
"It's OK", said the girl, "they won't see my knickers. I took them off".
I would have thought that if a knife managed to go far enough into a socket to cause damage that resulted in smoke, there would also have been a good flash and possibly a child suffering from an electric shock.
Changing the name would still mean people plugging things into their plug sockets that are potentially unsafe and conform to no safety standards.
Why would a ban be unworkable? Just make it illegal for shops to sell them and promote a safety campaign to stop people using them.
http://knutsfordchildminding.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/socket-covers-and-ofsted.html?m=1
It's not clear to navigate, unpleasing to the eye and does not grab my attention straight away about why they are unsafe.
However, I did read a little.
While I don't have any in my house, I hardly think a child will get one out to then insert it upside down... just so they can stick their fingers in. I struggle to get them out as an adult!