Electric Mattress Pad Safety

Snuggling up with an electric blanket keeps you warm at night, but sleeping on something with electricity coursing through it seems a little unsafe to some. While safety regulations and precautions have improved over the years, concern remains about the safety of electric blankets and pads.

Types

• As with any electrical equipment, malfunctions sporadically cause dangerous overheating, live wire exposure, electrocution and fires. The electromagnetic frequencies emitted from the blankets may interfere with pacemakers or cause developmental problems in children.

Significance

• The elderly are at higher risk.

  The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports about eight deaths associated with electric mattress pads each year. Most victims are older than 65.

Expert Insight

• The Mayo Clinic reports that those with advanced diabetes or any form of nerve damage as the most at-risk for electric blanket accidents. Loss of feeling in the limbs "can lead to inadvertent burns."

Considerations

• Warning

  In the late 1980s, inconclusive studies linked electric blankets to cancer. Investigations, safety advancements and warning labels have made them safer over the years, but improper use remains a danger.

Read warning labels.

• Follow safety warnings.

  Do not use electric pads on water beds or in a child's crib. Do not run the cord between the mattress and box spring, be sure it is clear of all obstructions and out of the reach of children or pets.