Electricity Cords

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29850, 16 June 1962, Page 3

Electricity Cords

Sir, —When the electric iron was turned on today, my halfgrown kitten caught the cord, a sound, new one. between her sharp teeth and was at once in the grip of a violent electric shock. She did not regain consciousness for some minutes after the switch was turned off. It occurred to me that this incident is worth relating because of the potential danger of all electricity flexes (irons, kettles, heaters, vacuum cleaners! to very young children, who are so apt to put such things into their mouths and exercise their strong, sharp teeth upon them A cat may have nine lives, but we have no reason to believe that children are similarly endowed. This could be a warning to parents to exercise more than ordinary care where crawling and toddling babies are concerned.—Yours, etc.. M.H. June 12, 1962. [Mr J. P. Shelley, general manager of the Municipal Electricity Department, said' "The teeth of a child are not as needle-like as those of a kitten and 1 do not think they could penetrate any sort of cord in good condition. But there is the possibility that a child could bite into a deteriorated cord. Parents are well advised to ensure that all their equipment is in good order."]