Tipping furniture a major risk for children; mounted furniture safer option
Some parents may think about child-proofing their home with cabinet latches, door knob covers and outlet protectors. But children could get their hands on top of something heavier.
“Tell me about your kids. What are they like at home when it comes to furniture?,” reporter Zarina Khairzada asked parent Andrew Cooper.
“We like to sit on the table!” 6 year old Noah said.
“They like to jump around the house,” Andrew Cooper said.
Some parents said no matter how much they caution their children, children will do what they want anyway.
“What can happen if you fall off the bed?” Cooper said. “Crack your head open,” 4 year-old Parker said.
“We were fortunate that we never had anything happen where the kids were hurt climbing on furniture but we would find them on the oddest places, climbing on night stands on top of the recliners,” Adonis Glasper said.
While those parents were lucky not to have their children get hurt, one parent in Utah last week saw the dangers firsthand. Her home security video showed twin 2-year-old brothers climbing on a dresser.
After a few seconds, the heavy furniture tipped over on top of the children. One child mustered up the strength to free his brother.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said more than 17,000 children are sent to the hospital each year due to injuries suffered after furniture tips on them — injuries that could have been prevented with simple hardware solutions.
“Just takes a screw gun, screw driver and only about 15 minutes of people’s time,”Marketplace True Value Hardware owner Jeff Lohman said.
Lohman said strapping down items like TVs and computer screens will keep children safe.
It also has the added advantage of keeping the furniture from tipping in an earthquake.
“They have the eyelets and everything where they attach to the pieces of furniture,” Lohman said.
For heavier items like dressers, the safety commission says furniture mounts can easily anchor large items against the wall for $5-$25.
For more ways to secure furniture in the home, go to www.anchorit.gov
