Every year in the United States, more than 2,400 children under ten years old are treated in hospital emergency rooms for electrical shock or burns caused by tampering with a wall outlet around the home – that is seven children a day. Nearly one-third of these injuries occur when a small child attempts to insert household objects such as hairpins, keys, or paperclips into the receptacle.
New tamper resistant receptacle (TRR) technology provides a simple, permanent solution to help prevent these types of childhood shock and burn injuries.
TRRs may appear identical to standard wall outlets, but they are actually designed with spring-loaded receptacle cover plates that close off the receptacle openings, or slots. When equal pressure is simultaneously applied to both sides, the receptacle cover plates open, allowing a standard plug to make contact with the receptacle contact points. Without this simultaneous pressure, the cover plates remain closed to prevent children from inserting objects into receptacles in and around the home.
Tamper resistant receptacles have been required in hospital pediatric care facilities for more than 20 years. In fact, they have proven to be so effective that the 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) now requires installation of TRRs in all new homes.
The cost of installing a TRR in a newly constructed home is about $0.50 more than a traditional receptacle. In existing homes, standard receptacles can be replaced with TRRs for as little as two dollars per outlet.
TRRs should be installed by a licensed, qualified electrician, using the same installation guidelines that apply to standard receptacles.
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