TVs are big culprits in furniture-tipping injuries among children.
That furniture might look heavy and secure enough at first glance, so it’s easy to forget the hazard it can pose to little ones.
Recent years have seen a 31 percent increase in the number of injuries from TV tip-overs alone. Consider: Because of its weight, a 36-inch cathode-ray tube television falling three feet creates the same momentum as a 1-year-old child falling 10 stories. Top-heavy furniture, heavy older-model TVs sitting on dressers and newer TVs with narrow bases are all dangerous – and sometimes fatal – combinations with climbing, curious toddlers and young children.
So what can you do to keep your children safe from tip-over tragedies? Follow these safety measures:
Check televisions
- Check the stability of all TVs in your home.
- Mount flat-screen TVs to the wall to prevent them from tipping off stands. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure a secure fit.
- If you have a large, older-model TV, place it on a low, stable piece of furniture with a wide base. Push it back as far as it will go on its base. Once in place, an anti-tip or stabilizing device should be installed to help prevent tip-overs.
- Recycle TVs you never use to get them out of the house.
Secure furniture and appliances
- Use brackets, braces or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture or appliances to the wall.
- Install stops on dresser drawers to prevent them from being pulled all the way out.
- Make sure freestanding kitchen ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.
Rearrange household items
- Keep heavier items on lower shelves or in lower drawers.
- Avoid placing remote controls, food, toys or other items in places where children might be tempted to climb up or reach for them.
- Keep power cords hidden so that children do not pull on them, causing furniture or TVs to topple down on them.
