News & Events - NEC 2008 Code Revision – Tamper Resistant Receptacles

TAMPER RESISTANT RECEPTACLES HELP PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ELECTRICAL INJURIES

PROVIDENCE – JANUARY 31, 2008 – Effective January 1st, 2008, the National Electric Code (NEC) has mandated all new construction residential receptacles be tamper-resistant.

The new requirement results from a ten-year Consumer Product Safety Commission study that documented thousands of injuries each year to children who attempt to insert foreign objects into receptacles. The study found that in the U.S., an average of seven children per day are treated in emergency rooms for injuries due to contact with electrical outlets. Most victims experience 1st-degree or 2nd-degree burns to the fingers and emotional trauma, but more serious injuries also occur.

Because child-safety outlets provide an important advance in reducing traumatic injuries to children, 2008 NEC Article 406.11 requires the use of tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles in all new construction. Required in hospital pediatric care areas for over 20 years, tamper-resistant receptacles, also known as child safety outlets, have proven to effectively reduce electrical injuries. The shutters inside a TR receptacle block access to the contacts unless a two-prong plug is inserted, helping ensure hairpins, keys, and other common objects children try to insert will be locked out.


Why Tamper-Resistant Receptacles are the Safest Solution Available Today

• Once installed, TR receptacles are permanent, offering continuous protection unlike plastic outlet caps which can be easily removed. 
• Sliding-shutter wall plates add layers of material between the plug blades and receptacle contacts, which can cause potentially dangerous heat build-up. 
• Tamper-resistant receptacles are certified and subjected to severe and documented testing procedures defined by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). 
• TR receptacles are required by UL to be clearly marked with “TR” on the receptacle face, making them easy to identify.

All major receptacle manufacturers offer tamper-resistant receptacles at a cost only slightly higher than comparable standard receptacles. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) estimates the total increased cost per average home to be less than $50.

For more information on Tamper-Resistant Receptacles, visit www.childoutletsafety.org/

For more information on the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, visit the NEMA website.