ATLANTA, Ga. Nov. 7, 2008 - The Georgia Department of Community Affairs Board has voted to adopt the 2008 National Electrical Code® (NEC) with the tamper-resistant outlet requirement included, incorporating the NEC into the State Minimum Standard Codes. Code enforcement is scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 2009.

Before approving the 2008 NEC at its Nov. 5 meeting, the Board heard testimony both favoring and opposing Code adoption and reviewed submitted documentation.

The NEC makes several new electrical safety provisions, including Section 406.11, stating that all 125-volt 15- and 20-ampere electrical outlets (receptacles) in new residential construction must be tamper-resistant. Each year, thousands of children suffer injuries caused by inserting objects into electrical outlets, and tamper-resistant receptacles protect against such incidents.

Using a built-in shutter system, tamper-resistant receptacles prevent foreign objects from touching electrically live components when they’re inserted into the slots, but plugs can be inserted and removed just as with standard electrical outlets. Unlike plastic outlet caps, which can be removed or forgotten, tamper-resistant receptacles offer automatic, continuous and permanent protection against electrical burns.

“Having the Department of Community Affairs Board vote to adopt the NEC with the tamper-resistant receptacle requirement intact marks a tremendous advancement for the electrical industry, for home safety, and especially for families,” said Andrei Moldoveanu, technical director at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). “The tamper-resistant receptacle requirement gives Georgia children the most reliable means of protection against electrical injuries, and at an affordable cost for compliance.”

NEMA estimates that tamper-resistant receptacles would add less than $70 to the cost of a new home’s electrical system.

As of Nov. 1, the Code had taken effect in Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Several Alabama, Illinois and Texas jurisdictions had also begun enforcement. The states of Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island and Utah are scheduled to adopt the Code on or before January 1, 2009.

Parents, homeowners, and building and electrical professionals wanting to learn about tamper-resistant receptacles, child safety statistics, and Code details can view an informational video and other resources at NEMA's Real Safety Web site: www.childoutletsafety.org. Additional information can be found at Electrical Safety Foundation International: www.esfi.org.

The NEC is an American National Standard developed by electrical safety experts under strict rules to ensure openness and broad representation by all interests. NEC adoption takes place on a state-by-state basis.