Whether you are moving in or you're rearranging stuff and furniture in your house or apartment, it is always important to think of you and your family's safety when installing furniture. Furniture can either make your house look more entertaining and beautiful, but it can also bring incidents to you and your family if not installed properly. In fact, according to statistical data by anchorit.gov, someone gets injured every 15 minutes by a furniture tip over in the U.S.
Over the years, furniture tip-over injuries have increased and have been the number one child safety issue in the country. A lot of studies and research has been conducted that focused on the issues and causes of home incidents and most of it led to furniture tip-overs. One of these studies, which was conducted at the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, showed that there is a 41% increase in such incidents from 1990-2007. After a couple of years later, it still did not show any signs of changes in this number. In fact, it was continuously increasing.
The year 2011 holds the highest report of fatalities that are caused by furniture tip-overs according to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data report in 2012. In that year, it has a record of 41 fatalities, from which it is a rapid increase from 31 in 2010 and 27 in 2009.
Also, according to CPSC, there are about 43,000 consumers including both adults and children that get injured every year because of furniture tip-overs. This does not include deaths yet. An estimate of 59% of these injuries are from children under 18 years old, and most of these injuries are head injuries.
The most-reported furniture that causes furniture tip-over accidents is television sets. Flat-screen televisions can be entertaining, but it can also be dangerous in the household if not being handled and installed properly. Since flat-screen televisions are nicer to display or put in living rooms and entertainment rooms, older models and heavier televisions are mostly placed or moved in bedrooms.
Most people also place their old televisions on top of inappropriate furniture that is not suitable for television's weight and height. This is why there are fatalities and accidents that happen and it mostly happens in bedrooms more often compared in living and family rooms.
Parents should be responsible enough to think of where they should put their furniture that will not lead to accidents and are safe from children. When installing television sets, it is important to put them on a stable wall or anchor them tightly and securely to prevent tip-over injuries. Heavy furniture should be installed and secured according to how heavy and big they are.
Causes of Furniture Tip-Overs
Heavy objects that are placed on small furniture that are not strong enough to support them.
Television sets that are not installed properly and securely.
Most younger children aged 7 years old and below tend to get in furniture tip-overs because of televisions. However, for older children that are 10-17 years old, get furniture tip-overs because of desks, cabinets, and bookshelves.
How to Prevent Furniture Tip-Overs
Strap televisions on walls or a stable TV stands
Avoid putting attractive objects that will fancy little children above televisions sets, cabinets that are high to reach for children, because they might try to climb and get them.
When installing television sets, follow the television's installation guidelines of how much the television weighs and where should it be appropriately placed. Do not use tables, cabinets, or chests.
Push the furniture as far back as possible, especially TV sets.
Do not open drawers all at once. Open one drawer at a time because to avoid an imbalance in the whole drawer itself.
Do not overload bookshelves and bookcases.
Always supervise your children if they are in the same room as your television set is and other huge furniture.
