(Reprinted with permission by The Leviton Institute)

The tendency of small children to stick their fingers in places where they don’t belong can sometimes create a problem for mom or dad. But the result can be much more serious – in the form of a painful experience, or even a fatality – when children poke around electrical outlets.

To prevent your child from receiving an electrical shock, the Leviton Institute suggests that you cover exposed electrical outlets with protective devices. There are many types to choose from, including outlet caps that completely close off unused outlets, tamper-resistant outlets, and tamper-resistant wallplates and adaptors. The latter allow you to use an outlet, while preventing a child from poking fingers, pencils or other objects inside of it.

“You can’t be too careful when protecting small children from potentially harmful electrical devices and appliances,” suggests Dave Mastrone, a spokesperson for the Leviton Institute. “Small children are naturally curious, and they simply don’t understand the power of electricity.”

A favorite target of babies and toddlers are power cords, which they are apt to place in their mouth and chew. Consequently, parents should replace a worn or frayed electrical cord with one having an appropriate length. An even better idea is to keep young children away from cords altogether, since a child can actually choke on as little as 12 inches of cord.

Children also love to tug on loose electrical cords. As a result, they can knock over a lamp, appliance or telephone, and injure themselves in the process. To prevent these types of accidents, the Leviton Institute suggests that all cords be placed out of the reach of small hands and that cord shorteners not be used to eliminate any loose wires.

Here are additional safety tips to help protect your child from injury:

* Make sure there’s a light bulb in every lamp socket.

* When portable fans, clothes irons, space heaters and the like are not in use, be sure to unplug them and put them away.

* If your fuse boxes are within reach of a small child, padlock them shut, and place the key in a safe place accessible only to adults.

* Use extension cords only for temporary power, not as substitutes for well-placed receptacles.

* Use night lights to illuminate darkened areas of your home.

* Use a switch extender wallplate which helps youngsters reach wall switches to turn lights on and off.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s especially true when it comes to home electricity.

The Leviton Institute is the educational arm of the Leviton Manufacturing Company. Its mission is to educate consumers about the benefits of today’s electrical wiring devices and systems, and to promote the safe use of electrical products in the home.