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Here we show some of the socket covers which we have tested.

In every case the shutters of our test socket are opened by the upside down cover.

This first example was obtained from John Lewis, we have bought identical covers from Clippasafe. This type is also frequently sold on Amazon and eBay.

Boots sell a slightly modified form.

A nursery Nurse has suggested that, being shaped like a nipple, it has a particular attraction to babies. We consider this to be extremely dangerous, as saliva resulting from sucking may gather inside the cover and provide an electrical path along the plastic pins to the live parts of the socket.


	The samples we have obtained from John Lewis and Clippasafe tend to snap in two when inserted upside down with a little pressure. This happened in at least half of the tests we carried out. A broken earthpin remaining in the socket and holding open the shutters is particularly dangerous. If the broken pin is then removed by a child it could be a serious choking threat (note the sharply pointed ends).

The slot featured in the covers from Clippasafe, Boots and John Lewis is provided to allow the earth pin of a plug to act as the removal tool for the cover.

As you can see from these photographs, the slot also allows access to contact the live part of the socket using our needle test probe.

To understand how this can be, we have cut away a cover to show a view of what is going on under the dome. You can see that the cover plate only makes contact with the socket around its edge. internally there is a space between the surface of the socket and the underside of the plate, this space, combined with the chamfered edge of the socket hole , allows free passage for the probe to be inserted alongside the live pin. (The edge is chamfered to allow plugs to be inserted easily.)

It is not possible to insert any foreign object into a BS 1363 socket with the shutters closed. However, the use of a socket cover allowing access to the live parts renders this socket, and all others, unsafe in a similar way to the type shown below. The cover could easily have been designed in a way which would make such access impossible. Boots have told FatallyFlawed that in excess of 4.5 million of these covers have been sold, that will have created 4.5 million dangerous sockets.

John Lewis says: “These safety socket inserts will prevent youngsters trying to poke things into plug sockets.”
Boots says: “Boots plug socket covers are an effective way to keep prying fingers away from electric shocks”
FatallyFlawed says “Look at the pictures, are these claims true?”

This cover, obtained from IKEA, is called PATRULL.
The cover plates are quite flexible so it is very easy to push in upside down.

The red version appears to be intended for use as an extractor for the white one (although we found they were easy to remove without), a pictogram on the packet warns not to put it in a socket, but dimensionally it is identical. We think the red colour makes it particularly attractive to small children.

Those we bought were in a packet bearing a photo of a US socket cover on the front, but the basic design of the plate indicates that it was originally for continental sockets (they are made in Holland).

It appears that in adapting it to fit a UK socket the “power pins” have been placed right at the edge of the plate, (BS 1363 requires pins to be 9.5 mm from the edge). As a result the sockets are not completely covered leaving an unshuttered hole into which a paper clip or similar can be inserted, making direct contact with a lethal 230 volts!

The internal shutters of a BS 1363 socket are there to prevent such foreign bodies being inserted, and it is not possible to do this in the absence of a cover.

Ikea claims their cover “Reduces the risk of children sticking a finger or an object into a wall socket.” We think that the opposite is true.
Ikea also states “Can be used in both earthed and unearthed sockets.”
They seem unaware that an “unearthed socket” would be illegal in the UK!

This is the same design, but bought from Mothercare under their own brand. Those we bought were a shiny grey colour which we think would attract children, but Mothercare appear to also offer a white version.

Mothercares says: “Prevents little children inserting their fingers or objects into sockets”. But, as with the Ikea model, this design leaves the sockets partially exposed when the cover is inserted normally.

We have also seen the same model sold by Emmay Care.

This also appears to leave the sockets partially exposed when the cover is inserted normally. There is some evidence to suggest that Emmay Care understand this problem as the instructions on the packet include:
“Important: Ensure electrical socket is switched off during installation and removal and whilst Socket Cover is in use.”
Given that they do think you should use it if the socket is live we are not quite sure what purpose they have in mind for their product. We also wonder if Emmay are aware that not all sockets are equipped with switches!

We have seen other apparently identical models sold under various brand names through Amazon and eBay.

This is a cover marked “KIDDI PROOF PRODUCTS” which was found being used by a play group.

The picture on the left shows a shaped earth pin which catches on the edge of the socket hole and effectively locks the cover in place, shutters open, when inserted upside down! We understand that the intended function of this pin is to increase the friction exerted on the earth socket, making it harder to withdraw, it appears to be based on a UK patent GB2220803. We could not detect that this actually works - except when inverted. This design is particularly dangerous. We do not know if it is still being sold under the original brand, but we have seen the same design offered by an online retailer called, “Your Healthcare Shop” (February 2010).

This cover also allows paper clips etc to be inserted as shown - only possible because the cover opens the internal shutters.


	This is the Lindam cover which we bought at Homebase. We have also seen it offerd by Argos and Babies R Us, as well as through Amazon and eBay. This model also has a bifurcated earth pin, but without the feature which causes the model above to lock. It does allow deeper insertion upside down, but does not always open the shutters completely. However, they are opened far enough to allow access!

This is the “Safety 1st” branded cover which is available from a number of stores, we bought this one in December 08 from B&Q.

This cover is one of the easiest for a child to to remove, as it is equipped with the most accessible finger grips we have yet seen! They are perfectly positioned at top and bottom, allowing a child to use both hands to remove it, before inserting it upside down and opening the shutters.

This is the “masterplug” brand socket cover purchased from Woolworths.

We also purchased some from B&Q under their own brand.

This model is less flexible but still opens the shutters when put in upside down.


	The cover shown was found in a hall used by a playgroup. The cracks you see were present when it was found and they allow the earth pin to be fully inserted, upside down, without difficulty. Although we do not know where this particular cover was bought we have since (September 09) found the identical model on sale in Tesco, labeled as: “TESCO MY BABY'S SOCKET COVERS”

We purchased this model, marked PMS through Cablestar, an online supplier, via Amazon. Cablestar have become the first retailer to cease selling covers when we brought the danger to their attention. The packet was labelled “Mercury Telecraft Ltd.”

We have also seen this model on sale at Maplin, it has the shortest lower pins we have yet seen at less than 2/3 of the standard length. Even though it is not very flexible the short pins make it particularly easy to insert upside down.


	We purchased this model in a local hardware store. It was sold under the brand name of a distributor, Deanston Electrical. We have also seen it in a number of other smaller hardware stores.


	This cover is from an unknown supplier, it is marked NTA. The cover was given to us by a user who, having see this website, no longer wanted anything to do with socket covers.

The flange features at top and bottom make this cover the easiest to remove that we have yet seen.

It is also the most brittle that we have encountered. The earth pins of the two samples we tried both snapped when inserted upside down, the failure being at the root of the pin. This means that removal of the broken pin is extremely difficult without appropriate tools, and the shutters will remain open until the pin is removed or the socket replaced by an electrician.


	With the exceptions noted our samples were purchased during August and September 2008.


	This is the rear view of a partially disassembled typical socket. The shutter mechanism can be clearly seen, an earth pin has been inserted into the socket on the left, the shutters which normally cover the power sockets have opened. There is nothing inserted on the right and the shutters are closed.


	The bottom line is: Safety is designed into UK sockets - plug in covers reduce safety!


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