Children’s Safety
At Oshawa Power, we are held to the highest safety standard for both our own team, and across our community. We know the dangers posed by electrical equipment and have made it our goal to help the public understand how they can stay safe at home and across our city.
Teaching your children proper electrical safety practices is an important part of keeping them safe around the house and when playing with friends outdoors.
We’ve put together some important tips you can share with the children in your life to make sure they stay safe from electrical hazards.
🏠 At Home
Cover Up Outlets
Creating a barrier between exposed wiring and tiny hands can help keep children safe from shocks. Installing childproof outlet plates with sliding covers or temporary plug covers are great ways to prevent a common cause of electrical incidents involving kids.
Teach Plug Safety
Learning how to plug in and unplug cords safely is something that should be taught to all children. A simple lesson around cord safety can go a long ways.
Teach children that they should avoid touching the metal when plugging in and that cords should never be unplugged with a pull. Taking the time to plug in and unplug safely is a great way to avoid a dangerous shock.
Keep Cords Away From Little Faces
Anyone with young children can tell you how much kids like to put things in their mouths. It is important to teach small children that plugs and cords absolutely do not belong near their mouths. Ensure children are monitored in rooms with plugged in electronics.
Avoiding a Bad Match
Dangers can be compounded when electricity mixes with a conductor. Ensure your children know the basics; water or metal and electricity are a bad match!
Using electronics around water or with wet hands, or inserting metal objects into active electrical outlets can be a very dangerous act. Teach your children that these are important electrical no-nos.
Replace Frayed Cords
With electrical injuries accounting for more than 20,000 visits to emergency departments per year in North America, it is important to do our best to avoid one of the most common hazards.
Frayed wires and power cords are a common and often overlooked issue in Canadian households. Locating frayed cords and replacing them could help keep your children safe from electric shock.
Ask For Help
As children become more independent and start to own their very own electronics, make sure they know that they can ask for help.
If your child is struggling to plug in a device or doesn’t know how to operate electronics safely, let them know that you are there to help. Asking for help is always leads to a better outcome than a dangerous shock.
🪁 Outdoors
Keeping Your Distance
Make sure your children know which equipment can be dangerous and to keep a safe distance. Hydro wires carry live electricity and can cause life threatening shocks. Your children should know to stay far away from lines and other equipment and to always obey signs that say “Danger” or “Keep Out”.
Get Off the Green Box
Pad mounted transformers (informally known as green boxes) contain high voltage electrical equipment.
Teach children to avoid making contact or tampering with pad mount transformers and never allow them to play on or near electrical equipment.
Look Up, Look Out
Activities like flying kites or climbing trees can be lots of fun for children, but always make sure they know to be aware of their surroundings.
Children should know to look up, and look out for electrical wires and other overhead equipment. If they see these in the area, its a sign to move along and find another spot to climb or fly.
Stay Clear of Substations
To ensure safe and reliable electricity across Oshawa, we operate 9 individual substations. These locations contain dangerous high voltage equipment and should never be entered.
If your child loses a ball or other toy inside a substation, make sure they know that entering to retrieve the lost item is never a good idea and could have dire consequences.
Never Climb Poles
We all know how much kids love to climb, but make sure they know that hydro equipment is never the right obstacle for a quick climb. Our poles contain dangerous high voltage equipment and should always be avoided.
Don’t Be Shocked
Electrical hazards are dangerous, but most can be avoided by practicing simple electrical safety. Teaching children to follow these simple electrical safety tips can help keep them safe from potential hazards at home and outside.
For more electrical safety tips, visit the Electrical Safety Authority’s website.
Bring Electrical Safety to Your Classroom
Are you or someone you know a local educator looking to bring electrical safety knowledge to the classroom? Reach out to our team to request a visit!
