I've removed 7 from sockets in the cottage I'm staying in; all of them could be inserted upside down opening the shutters. I shall be leaving a note pointing the owners to the website. I stay in a different place every 2 weeks and will spread the word wherever I go! Keep up the good work!
P
poolegaz
It makes you wonder how things like that are allowed to be sold, will spread the word far and wide. Excellent work Tony.
G
GLENNSPARK
unless she turns out to be another sharon shoesmith....then she wont be fit for owt....probably wont be very fit either....
T
thekingiam
thanks for this post had some as a present when my daughter was born,lucky they got lost somewhere in a drawer. think my mother might still have them will spread the word.
top marks
simple logic
I often wondered why parents used them, my daughters have them so I shall tell them off
they used to have little strap things hanging down on cars ( very old cars) designed to reduce static electricity and stop car sickness
they never worked but sold millions old cars just plain smell awful oil leather rust etc ( I still own one)
it was pointed out in a TV programme that to generate static the car would need to do at least 160 MPH at 2 thousand feet
my morris oxford cant manage 75mph downhil
but people still purhcased the silly things
simple logic
I often wondered why parents used them, my daughters have them so I shall tell them off
they used to have little strap things hanging down on cars ( very old cars) designed to reduce static electricity and stop car sickness
they never worked but sold millions old cars just plain smell awful oil leather rust etc ( I still own one)
it was pointed out in a TV programme that to generate static the car would need to do at least 160 MPH at 2 thousand feet
my morris oxford cant manage 75mph downhil
but people still purhcased the silly things
The current OFSTED policy is if the nursery has them it's OK if they don't it's OK in the past OFSTED policy was you had to have them. It's a pity OFSTED are sat on the fence and they are supposed to be maintaining the standard of care
The trouble with parents these days they don't teach discipline to there kids which is why they run riot
What code should we give them if they are fitted?
I have never liked these things when my wife was pregnant with our first child over 20 years ago I upgraded the consumer unit to include an RCD and told her under no circumstances to buy these horrible socket covers if she felt they were needed I would buy proper plug tops.
I had mentioned this campaign to my brother and his wife who have a day nursery it's only recently they have removed the socket covers following a damaged socket being found by me, they always took the OFSTED stance that they had to be fitted
As you can see unusually it's the neutral pin that is broken ( found in the socket box with the broken bits) and I assume one of the staff has forced a plug into the socket and burst the back of the socket at the time I found it the socket cover was in place but was very loose because the shutter had been broken and could have very easily been removed by a child for access to the dangerous bits
P
PC Electrics
After spotting these things in use in their stores I emailed Next and M&S. Have had a reply from both that their "facilities departments" will look into the matter and thanking me for my input. Whenever you're in stores and you see these, bring it to their attention - I showed on emanager the FF site on my phone.
Someone mentioned about a leaflet. I've had a look on the website and don't think any that are there at the moment are suitable. We need something that can be printed on A4 ('cos that's the size of printer we all have) and that can then be folded into an A6 booklet or tri-folded (like a menu) so it's easy to carry and store and easy to give out. It also needs to be more pictorial, less "wordy" and less "preachy" than some of the stuff on the FF site.
Someone mentioned about a leaflet. I've had a look on the website and don't think any that are there at the moment are suitable. We need something that can be printed on A4 ('cos that's the size of printer we all have) and that can then be folded into an A6 booklet or tri-folded (like a menu) so it's easy to carry and store and easy to give out. It also needs to be more pictorial, less "wordy" and less "preachy" than some of the stuff on the FF site.
M
mickys86
They have them at my tennis club in Bracknell. 'Esporta' when I asked to see someone about it he said he knew about the dangers and have taken it up with his Health and safety officer but at the moment they have to stay?
He said he's seen the website etc etc
He said he's seen the website etc etc
P
Phil
check out post 6 on the link. an inspector marked her down on an inspection for removing them. i have pm`d her for the inspectors details as i wish to educate him in his decisions.
plug socket covers!!!?????
plug socket covers!!!?????
A
AIM
Great that Fatally Flawed is now getting more publicity. Ifound this site over a year ago, but selfishly didn’t think to post a link tothe forum. Whenever I find socket covers I get the Customer to watch, as Iinsert the cover upside down, opening the socket shutter. They soon realise theissue and remove them.
Everyone needs to post links on blogs/Facebook/Twitter etc.
I’ve posted a link on my blog. Fatally Flawed Socket Covers Should NOT be Used « Improving your world without costing the earth
Well done Tony for sharing.
Everyone needs to post links on blogs/Facebook/Twitter etc.
I’ve posted a link on my blog. Fatally Flawed Socket Covers Should NOT be Used « Improving your world without costing the earth
Well done Tony for sharing.
K
Knobhead
boberty, see the link in Phil's post #73
S
samstar
Amazing! Never would have realised the danger associated with these covers, good work...
C
carapat
thank you tony keep it up i am joing ing the campain
A
AIM
Just checked Mumsnet and OFSTED have posted the following:
Ofsted and Socket Covers (full thread) | Mumsnet Discussion
Typical cop-out response. Why won't these people commit to common sense!
Ofsted and Socket Covers (full thread) | Mumsnet Discussion
Typical cop-out response. Why won't these people commit to common sense!
H
hillbillie
I've just e-mailed a link to the website to a domestic customer I did some work for in March.
Thanks Tony
Thanks Tony
S
Stuart Jones
Never thought of them like that, now that's a bit of knowledge I'll never forget !!!!
S
StuSpiers
I've always had an underlying hate of these things but could never put my finger on why.
I will fly your flag for you.
I will fly your flag for you.
S
s1ms
I worked as a science teacher for 10 years. Most labs have sockets on desks or adjacent to them. I can tell you teenagers can be just as bad as infants at poking pens, pencils, pairs of compasses etc into the sockets. In a colleague's lesson a 16 year old managed to shove a paper clip into the socket and turn it on! He was very lucky that he let go of the clip before flicking the switch. (He still got a different kind of shock!)
I have emailed the link to some of my old colleagues a link of the video.
The other half had to watch the video too (had to wait for Home and Away to finish to make sure she was paying attention!) She visits nurseries as an assessor and is going to spread the word. :21:
Top Job!
I have emailed the link to some of my old colleagues a link of the video.
The other half had to watch the video too (had to wait for Home and Away to finish to make sure she was paying attention!) She visits nurseries as an assessor and is going to spread the word. :21:
Top Job!
Last edited by a moderator:
C
carapat
good for you tony i pointed 2 out at a local hospital my wife was attending these was in a play area but they just looked dumb at me
C
carapat
i am printing leaflets off and handing them out to shools etc and play groups:yes:
J
johnohagan
will def spread the word on this one!
M
maglamps
That's a great idea to keep our world free from childproof socket covers.You have done a wonderful job Tony.
It is VERY important to understand that, as our site makes clear, the FatallyFlawed campaign is intended for UK residents only! I am sure that the information we provide may also be of use in other countries which use BS 1363 sockets, notably Ireland, but is does NOT apply to any other type of socket. Socket covers can be genuinly useful in some countries, notably those whose sockets are recessed and do not have internal shutters. Maglamps, we do not want to change anything in Australia or any other part of the non-BS 1363 world!
D
Dave 85
Theses socket covers are clearly pointless, anyone with half a brain can see that, but I have no problem with people capitilising on the stupidity of neurotic idiots.
But fataly dangerous? Not so sure....
I see the point about them being inserted upside down but surely this would only be possible if the cover had only an earth pin and no L or N, which I have never seen.
To suggest that a 3 pin cover is dangerous is just nonsense if you ask me. The original article goes on a lot about how bad they are, but doesn't really say why, except that they are pointless.
But fataly dangerous? Not so sure....
I see the point about them being inserted upside down but surely this would only be possible if the cover had only an earth pin and no L or N, which I have never seen.
To suggest that a 3 pin cover is dangerous is just nonsense if you ask me. The original article goes on a lot about how bad they are, but doesn't really say why, except that they are pointless.
D
Dave 85
The thing that makes me laugh is that a BC table lamp with no bulb in it is far more likely to give someone a belt than the vast majority of things ranted about on these forums (as I discovered as a 4yr old)
No, as the cover reviews on the FatallyFlawed website show, we have yet to find a socket cover which will not fit into, and stay in, a socket upside down, most have short pins which makes it easier, but even those with pins of the correct length will stay in place due to the flexibility of all socket covers, in fact the flexibilty results in a pincer action which tends to grab the socket and stay put.
Try reading the website! Upside down insertion is just one danger, allowing pins and paperclips to be inserted alongside the socket cover is another, ISODs breaking off and holding the shutter open is yet another danger, and then there is the permanent damage caused by inserting incorrectly sized objects (ie ALL socket covers) into a socket.
Of course that is right, but what sensible parent would allow a small child to be alone in a room with a table lamp? Sockets tend to be rather more difficult to put out of the way, they are usually secured to the wall.
M
Milwaukee
Nice one Tony.
Passed on and added to facebook page.
R
rossinator
Had a good read and look on the website and tend to agree, so put it up on my FaceBook account too... Thanks.
C
cymroaur
Can I check? Are we trying to get rid of ALL 'safety socket covers', or just those featured in the FatallyFlawed website?
Good question! FatallyFlawed is concerned about all plug-in socket covers intended for UK sockets. We have not found any which do not have at least some of the problems described. If anyone knows of a plug-in socket cover which is not shown in the cover reviews we would be pleased to hear about it.
It is theoretically possible to design a socket cover which is as safe as a plug, although it would still be unnecessary, but we do not believe any such cover is available.
There are some concerns about the type of cover which goes over the entire socket, particularly those which require a key to open and may prevent quick removal of power in an emergency, but that is not what the campaign is about.
M
maglamps
Thanks for clarifying the doubt.
gr1688
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We were using these in our premises as we run childrens camps, came across the fatally flawed website and thought it made sense, but instead of just taking them off straight away I spoke to and sent a link to our head of safety, he read the site and basically agreed with it , result is we no longer use them, I have put a copy of his reply below
I think what you read on there is a logical and reasoned argument that seems to come to a sensible conclusion. Although they may look like a "safety improvement", when one looks closely at it there is probably no real benefit from them and, as the site points out, some apparent increase in risk. There are many aspects of safety that are like this. As they say, a socket cover provides the perfect tool to open the shutters and expose an otherwise perfectly screened live terminal.
I'd suggest that we should probably follow the advice on this site, which is linked from the fatallyflawed one. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Yourchildssafetyinthehome/DG_10038395
This says that the risk is of children plugging in an appliance that may be hazardous rather than any real risk from them poking anything into the socket, which has shutters.
I'd never really thought about this before but on balance I think my recommendation would be to follow the DirectGov advice and not to bother with socket covers but to keep appliances away fom the kids, who will I assume, also be closely supervised.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. It's an interesting example of a "safety" device that isn't
I think what you read on there is a logical and reasoned argument that seems to come to a sensible conclusion. Although they may look like a "safety improvement", when one looks closely at it there is probably no real benefit from them and, as the site points out, some apparent increase in risk. There are many aspects of safety that are like this. As they say, a socket cover provides the perfect tool to open the shutters and expose an otherwise perfectly screened live terminal.
I'd suggest that we should probably follow the advice on this site, which is linked from the fatallyflawed one. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Yourchildssafetyinthehome/DG_10038395
This says that the risk is of children plugging in an appliance that may be hazardous rather than any real risk from them poking anything into the socket, which has shutters.
I'd never really thought about this before but on balance I think my recommendation would be to follow the DirectGov advice and not to bother with socket covers but to keep appliances away fom the kids, who will I assume, also be closely supervised.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. It's an interesting example of a "safety" device that isn't
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