Many parents and other responsible adults are unaware of the design features of the 13A sockets which they use on a daily basis, through ignorance they often decide to use socket covers (also known as “plug covers”) in an attempt to improve child safety.

There is a common belief that children can poke items into the socket holes if they are not prevented from doing so, but little understanding that the method of prevention is already built-in to the socket! 

(Note: The socket holes are too small to allow the fingers of even a new born infant to be inserted, the shutters are there to prevent a child pushing an object into the socket.)

LATEST: “Which?” identifies problems with socket covers, see news release

See Daily Telegraph article about FatallyFlawed

See Institution of Engineering and Technology article about FatallyFlawed

Watch our VIDEO

“I normally refuse to join in campaigns but this seemed so important, and the ‘safety’ covers so absurd and dangerous, that I agreed”
Author, TV presenter & Patron of FatallyFlawed Dr Adam Hart-Davis in a recent interview.

Even when people are informed of the inherent safety of the 13A socket there still tends to be a belief that additional “safety” measures must be a good idea - BUT IS THIS TRUE?

Plug-in Socket Covers Are Dangerous! 
The so-called “safety socket cover” usually takes the form of a dummy 13A plug, most of these devices are designed in a way which allows a curious child to insert them (upside down) into the earth pin only, this has the effect of opening the safety shutters and allowing children access to the power sockets! 
Normally it is quite difficult to find an object which will do that, so why make it easy to defeat the safety measures you start with?

The socket on the left shows how the power contacts of a standard British 13A socket are protected by insulated shutters, preventing objects other than a proper plug being inserted.

The socket on the right shows what happens when a child plugs an upside down cover into the earth pin only. It can be clearly seen that this has operated the shutter system and exposed the live contacts.

Although very small children may find it difficult to remove properly inserted covers (but check our video), they usually have capabilities beyond our expectations. Babies of only 5 months have been known to remove socket covers!
(See our user comments page). 

Children also rapidly learn to use tools, and may take advantage of anything which comes to hand to lever out the cover, such tools could include table knives and safety scissors! 

Covers sold by IKEA, Mothercare, Clippasafe, Boots, and John Lewis are so badly designed that they allow objects to be inserted into the live connection!
This is what they claim to prevent, and yet the opposite is true!

See Photo Gallery for details.

See our Photo Gallery for more pictures of dangerous covers. Do you wish to take this risk?

Now that you know about these dangers, how comfortable do you feel about leaving your child in a nursery that uses “safety socket covers”?

Do you have any idea if “safety socket covers” conform to standards? What does it say on the packet or on the cover itself? 

“Hello Baby” takes action on socket covers!

Hello Baby is a specialized online retailer of baby products with a strong ethical stance.
Until recently they sold socket covers, but as a result of the FatallyFlawed campaign they have decided to cease selling them, and now offer advice to parents about the dangers.
Our thanks go to Hello Baby for putting the true interests of their customers first, and we hope that many other retailers will follow their excellent lead.