I'm a grandfather now, have been for two years.  Every time we watch our granddaughter, I am constantly running around before she arrives, frantically putting anything that might hurt her, or break out of her eager little hands.

    While I can put a lot of things out of her reach, one thing I can't move are electric outlets.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 2,400 children receive emergency room treatment every year for injuries caused by inserting objects—paper clips, pens, safety pins, screws and nails, tools, wire, forks, tweezers, hair pins, keys, knives, coins, and more—into electrical receptacles. This equates to approximately seven children each day.

    Injuries range from electric shock to burns; pediatric burns can be particularly serious. Roughly 89 percent of injuries occur in children less than six years old.

    One way to prevent these tragedies involves installing tamper-resistant outlets that prevent foreign objects from touching electrically live components. A shutter mechanism prevents children from sticking things into receptacles, while a spring-loaded system lets electricity flow only when equal pressure is applied simultaneously to both shutters (such from an electrical plug).

    Although not widely used in homes, tamper-resistant outlets have been required in hospital pediatric care areas for more than 20 years. The 2008 National Electrical Code requires tamper-resistant outlets in new homes.

    The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends retrofitting older homes with these safety devices. Installation of tamper-resistant outlets can be done for as little as $2 each.

    Cost of installing a tamper-resistant outlet, around $2, keeping your grandchildren, or children safe...priceless.