SafetyGate prevents injuries caused by unauthorized electric restarts

According to a company called SafeStart Systems, thousands of people are injured annually when their electric devices restart after a power outage. Their SafetyGate product line offers a solution that will ensure you and your family don’t become a statistic.

Living on the west coast of Vancouver Island, I’m quite used to seasonal power outages, thanks to a combination of frequent high winds and nearby forests. If the wind alone doesn’t knock out the power, the branches blown off the trees and onto the power lines certainly will. I try to be as prepared as possible by making sure the flashlights have fresh batteries, that there are candles and matches stocked in the storage cupboard, etc. When the power goes off, one thing that always goes through my head is “Did I turn that off?”

The reason for this thought is that I wouldn’t want to go to bed while the power was still out and either be woken up in the middle of the night to a loud TV or wake up in the morning, having wasted power because all the lamps in the house were on for most of the night (call me frugal).

While I’m worrying about my sleep being disrupted or a few pennies being added to my hydro bill, a company called SafeStart Systems is thinking about something that is a little more concerning – something that, thank God, I’ve never had to think about or experience:

“Each year, thousands of children and adults are injured when an electrically powered device unexpectedly comes back on after a power interruption. The cause of these injuries is when an appliance or tool’s switch is left “on” after a power outage, circuit breaker trip or accidental unplugging from the wall outlet.”

They’ve come up with a solution, called SafetyGate. Simply put, it’s a device that you plug into a standard wall outlet, to which you would then plug your appliance into. When the power comes back on, the appliance will not turn on – possibly saving children and adults from very serious injuries. The video at the end of this post illustrates some examples of what could happen if you don’t use a SafetyGate.

In addition to the prevention of injuries, SafeStart Systems also claim their product can help protect your home electronics, saying:

“Your new SafetyGate is an excellent choice for protecting your valuable home entertainment electronics from the constant on-off cycling caused by power company outages. Often times these outages happen while you may be at work or away. Much like a light bulb, the life of your equipment is significantly reduced when this happens. Even though your TV is turned off at the remote, its main power switch is still keeping your equipment in a “Standby” mode. In this mode power is still connected and your equipment is susceptible to damage from constant on-off cycling. Your SafetyGate will sense a power outage and protect your equipment from the multiple “hits” during a typical power outage.”

With home safety and kid safety being a number one concern for a lot of people, I’m surprised SafetyGate isn’t a technology that hit the shelves a decade ago. There are two versions of SafetyGate: SafetyGate Consumer and SafetyGate Professional. The former is good for common household appliances, such as curling irons, space heaters, kitchen blenders and food processors. The Professional version is for power tools, such as electric chain saws, lawnmowers, table saws and belt sanders.

The SafetyGate Consumer is available from the company’s website for $18.99 USD. The Professional version won’t be made available until January 2010, when it can be purchased for $23.99. If you want both Consumer and Professional SafetyGates, SafeStart Systems offers value packs to save you some money.

You can learn more by checking out their website and by watching the following video.

I’ll be testing out the product in the near future. When I do, I’ll be sure to update you on whether or not the SafetyGate does what it claims to do. Personally, I don’t see my family at much risk of injury when our power turns back on, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t find the SafetyGate a handy device to have. I can see myself using it with my TV and floors lamps, so I know I won’t be blinded by light at 3am or blasted out of bed from Vince’s obnoxious voice trying to get me to buy a ShamWow or Slap Chop. What do you think about this product? Is it something you feel will help keep your kids safe?

Filed Under: Hardware & Gadgets
Tags: child proof, child safety, home safety, power outage, SafeStart Solutions, SafetyGate