Electrical Outlet Safety for Iowa Child Care
Providers
Electrical products are responsible for millions of injuries, deaths, and fires each year.
75% of the victims of electrical outlet accidents are young children. Infants and toddlers
often have wet hands and face due to drooling, creating an even more dangerous
situation.
PREVENTION:
 Conduct a child‟s eye-level assessment of all young children occupied areas, including play
areas, diaper-changing stations, near cribs, bathrooms, outdoor play areas, etc.
 Identify and determine condition of electrical outlets, plugs, and cords in use and
replace any that are broken, worn or damaged. The U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission recommends assessing the condition of electrical items every
six months1.
 Determine if electrical wiring and outlets meet building codes.
The 2008 National Electrical Code2, adopted by the State of Iowa requires tamper resistant
outlets in all areas within a residential dwelling unit when they are newly constructed or
have new electrical outlets installed or replaced. Existing homes, schools, and child care
facilities while not required should consider updating their outlets. If you are not able to
bring your electrical wiring and outlets to requirements for new construction, make sure
your wiring and outlets meet building code for existing structures and that you make the
changes you can make.
Replace outlets with GFCI outlets and/or tamper-resistant outlets. Check
labeling for “tamper resistant” or the initials TR.
All electrical outlets accessible to children who are not yet of school-age shall have safety covers
that are attached to the electrical receptacle by a screw or other means to prevent easy removal by a
child. Outlet covers that a child can remove by extraction of a plug from the socket shall not be
used. Unless screw-mounted outlet covers are installed to semi-permanently prevent access to the
outlet or outlets are of the child-resistant ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) type, safety covers
shall be used that are spring-loaded or have a comparable means to automatically prohibit access to
electricity when a plug is removed from the outlet. All newly installed electrical outlets accessible to
children shall be protected by GFCI shock protection devices or safety receptacles that require
simultaneous contact with both prongs of a plug to access the electricity.3
 GFCI Outlet: Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. “An unintentional electric path between a
source of current and a grounded surface is referred to as a „ground-fault‟. Ground faults occur
when current is leaking somewhere, in effect, electricity is escaping to the ground. When your body
provides a path to the ground for this leakage, you could be injured, burned, severely shocked, or
electrocuted…GFCI constantly monitors electricity flowing in a circuit, to sense any loss of current.
If the current flowing through the circuit differs by a small amount from that returning, the GFCI
quickly switches off power to that circuit. The GFCI interrupts power faster than a blink of an eye to
prevent a lethal dose of electricity. You may receive a painful shock, but you should not be
electrocuted or receive a serious shock injury.” GFCI outlets should be tested monthly.4
Receptacle Type: This type is found throughout the house, replaces the standard receptacle,
and protects against ground faults when something is plugged into the outlet.4
Circuit Breaker Type: This type is used where circuit breakers are used instead of fuses. It is
installed into the panel box and provides protection for the circuits. This type will shut off
electricity when a ground fault is detected and will also trip when a short or overload occurs.
Protection covers the wiring and each outlet, lighting fixture, heater, etc served by the branch
circuit protected by the GFCI in the panel box.4
Do not use plug-adaptors that allow additional plugs. “Surge protectors” designed to protect sensitive
electronic equipment such as computers are often being used as “power strips” to compensate for a
room/area that does not have an adequate number of outlets. This can
overload the outlet and cause a fire. If additional outlets are needed, they
should be installed, versus overloading existing outlets.
Use extension cords only when necessary and only on a temporary basis. As
above, if additional outlets are needed, install them. Use the right extension
cord for the appliance-correct wattage, prongs, outdoor, etc.
 “The use of extension cords shall be discouraged; however, when used, they shall bear the listing
mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as UL, and shall not be placed through
doorways, under carpeting, or across water-source areas. Electrical cords (extension and
appliance) shall not be frayed or overloaded.”5
1
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Home Electrical Safety Checklist: Keeping You and Your
Family Safe, Room by Room. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/513.pdf
2
National Fire Protection Association. 2008 National Electrical Code. http://www.nfpa.org/
3
American Academy Of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health
and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (2002). Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety
Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs, 2nd edition. Elk Grove Village, IL:
American Academy of Pediatrics and Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. STANDARD 5.048
4 United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. GFCIs Fact Sheet.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/99.html
5
American Academy Of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health
and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (2002). Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety
Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs, 2nd edition. Elk Grove Village, IL:
American Academy of Pediatrics and Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. STANDARD 5.051
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