Curious young minds are full of questions and sometimes, that curiosity leads to trouble, especially when young people start experimenting with electricity.
“Home is the place to start teaching children about electricity safety,” said Jacob Treder, Vice President of Electricraft, Inc., the well-known San Luis Obispo electrical contracting company. “And experimenting with electricity is best done in a classroom where it is supervised by a qualified science teacher.”
Electricity safety for kids includes:
- Teach children that water and electricity do not mix. No one should play with or use electronics around water. To help prevent shocks, make sure GFCIs are installed in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and anywhere electricity and water can meet.
- Inform kids that the only objects that go into outlets are electric plugs. Install tamper-resistant outlets to help prevent curious kids from attempting to stick something else into the outlet.
- Tell children that electric cords are not toys and should be left alone.
- Teach kids to never pull a plug out of the socket by the cord.
- Teach kids the proper handling of electronics, accessories and appliances and don’t leave them unattended.
- Encourage young children to ask for help with using electronics and appliances.
- Keep electronics and appliances out of the reach of toddlers and small children.
What to do if your child is an aspiring electrician
Participating in experiments with electricity can often satisfy a youngster’s curiosity but electricity is not a toy. If your child is asking questions about electricity find a class or program that is led by a qualified instructor. Check with local schools, maker groups or recreation programs.
If none are available, consider helping the school district start a program. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFi) has free Be Smart About Fire & Electricity classroom programs and toolkits available for parents and teachers.
The ESFi also has kid’s safety programs available for parents and schools. The programs include online lessons and games for electrical safety, fire safety, smoke alarms, and holiday safety. The organization also provides guides and toolkits to help teachers and parents teach kids about electricity and safety.
The Energy Education Council (EEC) also provides educational information on the Safe Electricity website. The website provides information for parents and teachers as well as videos, games and activities for kids.
It’s important to remember that curious young people are going to look for answers to their questions. This can lead young electricians to try things that are dangerous. Your young electrician must be supervised during any activity that involves learning about electricity. A qualified adult should supervise any hands-on experiments or games involving batteries or electricity.
Encouraging the future
Electricraft, Inc. believes in encouraging San Luis Obispo’s future electrical contractors and electricians and wants families to be safe during the learning process. As technology advances the demand for dedicated, well-trained electricians are continuing to grow. Careers for electricians, electrical engineers and electrical contracting are opening in the fields of solar energy, transportation, the electronics industry, and continuing to grow in all of the traditional areas as well.
Family owned and operated, the experienced and friendly staff at Electricraft has been providing exceptional electrical installation, repair service and general electrical construction to San Luis Obispo County since 1984. Encouraging parents and their young electricians to be safe while learning is another way the company supports the local community.
