| 1. My furniture is a high-end, well-made expensive | | | | 5. The risk of my child getting injured or even dying |
| piece from a very reputable furniture store. Can it still | | | | is relatively low. Do I really need to be concerned? |
| tip? | | | | Unless you want to visit your child in the hospital, or |
| YES. Very definitely yes. Any and every piece of | | | | worse the answer is YES!! Of course you need to be |
| freestanding furniture, a large appliance or a television | | | | concerned. There is a reason why the ASTM issued |
| set, including flat panels, can tip over. For furniture, all | | | | new furniture safety standards in May, 2009 (ASTM |
| it takes is for a child to pull on, or stand in an open | | | | F2057). No parent who has lost a child ever expected |
| drawer, or on a shelf to cause it to tip and fall. | | | | THAT to happen to them. Why not do everything |
| Furniture includes but is not limited to: bedroom | | | | you can to keep them safe? Too many people never |
| furniture, dressers, bookcases, armoires, TV stands | | | | thought it would happen to them either. |
| and dining room furniture. No matter how small the | | | | A recent study conducted by the Center for Injury |
| child is, assume they can generate the force to tip | | | | Research and Policy of The Research Institute at |
| the piece over. Even if the furniture is low to the | | | | Nationwide Children's Hospital found that from |
| ground it can tip over with devastating effects. | | | | 1990-2007 an average of nearly 15,000 children |
| All freestanding furniture pieces, large appliances or | | | | younger than 18 years of age visited emergency |
| television sets need to be properly secured to the | | | | departments annually for injuries received from falling |
| wall regardless of size. Properly securing furniture to a | | | | furniture and furniture tip-overs. |
| wall means attaching one end of an anti-tip kit to a | | | | According to the study, published in the online issue |
| stud and the other end to the frame of the furniture. | | | | of Clinical Pediatrics in May, most furniture |
| Preferably, you want to attach that end to the | | | | tip-over-related injuries occurred among children |
| underside of the top of the piece. If the furniture is | | | | younger than 7 years of age and resulted from |
| not secured when a child opens a drawer and pulls on | | | | televisions tipping over. More than one quarter of the |
| it or stands in it, the furniture could become a | | | | injuries occurred when children pulled over or climbed |
| front-heavy torpedo. The innocent, unsuspecting child | | | | on furniture. The CPSC tells us that an average of 16 |
| could become a victim of that torpedo. Do I need to | | | | children die every year. Don't let it happen to you and |
| fill in the rest of that story? Protect your children, | | | | yours. |
| properly secure all free-standing furniture. | | | | 6. I have taught my child to NEVER climb on the |
| 2. When using an anti-tip kit, do I need to secure my | | | | furniture, so I have worries, right? |
| furniture directly into a stud in the wall or will securing | | | | Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Play is the work of |
| it into drywall be sufficient? | | | | children. Even if your child can repeat all the rules |
| Assume that neither sheetrock nor drywall is strong | | | | without prompting, it doesn't mean they'll follow |
| enough to withstand the possible torpedo-like fall that | | | | them. This is especially true when they're playing or |
| an unsecured piece of furniture or television may | | | | when they REALLY want to get that (just fill in the |
| cause. The studs in your walls are built to hold the | | | | blank). Kids think they're invincible and never |
| wall and roof of a home. All furniture, large appliances | | | | recognize danger when they're in the moment. It's |
| or television sets must be properly secured to a stud | | | | our job as parents to make their environments as |
| in the wall. Additionally, remember that unless you | | | | safe as possible. |
| secure the anti-tip kit or anti-tip device onto the | | | | 7. I never leave my child alone and even if something |
| furniture, appliance or television set you are still at | | | | happened I'd be able to save them, right? |
| risk. | | | | Even the best parent is never truly within arms reach |
| 3. My television is extremely heavy and I need my | | | | of their child all of the time. There have been parents |
| husband to move it when I clean. I don't think my | | | | who were standing in the same room with their child |
| child is strong enough to tip a TV; am I wrong? | | | | when a piece of furniture or television fell on that |
| You are completely wrong! Too many times | | | | child. It takes just a second for furniture to tip and |
| televisions are placed on stands which are | | | | fall. There is never enough time to stop the crash. |
| inappropriately sized for the television. That makes | | | | Never. |
| the stand inherently unstable. Any sudden movement | | | | 8. I'm concerned that securing furniture and |
| can cause the television stand to crash forward, and | | | | televisions to the wall will damage them and / or |
| it will crash forward with a lot of force. If you have | | | | make them look bad? |
| an LCD or Plasma flat panel and cannot properly | | | | Are your walls and possessions more precious to you |
| anchor it to a wall, then make sure that television is | | | | then your child? Seriously, why would you even ask |
| placed on a flat panel stand that is appropriate for its | | | | that question? |
| size. | | | | If your concern is the resale value of your house |
| TV Stands should be very low to the ground and the | | | | understand that the holes you put in walls can be |
| television should be pushed as far back as possible on | | | | repaired. If you're concerned about the appearance |
| the stand. Both the stand and television must be | | | | of your furniture appreciate that anti-tip kits, can |
| properly secured to a stud in the wall with an anti-tip | | | | almost always be installed so they are not seen. In |
| kit. | | | | fact, most of the holes will be small and out of sight. |
| Remember. | | | | Even if the holes are noticeable does it really matter? |
| Don't place a television of any type on top of a | | | | Holes in objects can be repaired. Once your child has |
| dresser. | | | | been injured, or died, your broken heart can never |
| Don't place items on top of a TV which could tempt | | | | be fixed. |
| a child to climb up to reach or grab them, especially | | | | 9. If falling furniture is so dangerous, why don't the |
| toys. | | | | stores that sell furniture and televisions have warning |
| 4. My children are older and out of the climbing age. | | | | labels indicating the danger? Also, why aren't devices |
| They sit on the floor now and play video games in | | | | to secure furniture and televisions to the wall readily |
| front of the television. They're safe, right? | | | | available at my local store? |
| Wrong. Many deaths have resulted from older | | | | Excellent question, we wondered the same thing. The |
| children sitting in front of the TV playing video | | | | answer to the first part is found in the new ASTM |
| games. Many older television sets are front heavy. | | | | furniture safety standards (ASTM F2057) that require |
| Any slight movement, whether changing a game, | | | | furniture manufacturers to include a warning label. |
| turning it on or off or the excited kick from a child | | | | As recognition of the need for furniture safety and |
| could easily result in both the stand and television | | | | child safety increases more and more stores will |
| crashing forward onto the child. | | | | carry anti-tip kits and anti-tip devices. |
| If you are unable to secure a flat screen directly to a | | | | Many thanks to Judy Lambert and Kim Beck of the |
| stud in your wall, then push the television as far back | | | | Katie Elise Lambert Foundation for making major |
| as possible on its stand. Make sure the flat panel | | | | contributions to this article. Make child safety your |
| stand is low to the ground and appropriate for the | | | | number one household priority. Child proof your home |
| size of the television. Properly secure the TV to the | | | | by preventing falling furniture, furniture tip-overs and |
| stand and then secure the stand to a stud in the wall | | | | television tip-overs. Practicing furniture safety |
| with an anti-tip kit or anti-tip device. | | | | awareness could prevent injuries, or death. |