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Securing Furniture - Important For Child Safety

22 February 2010

We all have heard that it is important to secure heavy furniture throughout our house in the event of an earthquake. However, there may be a far simpler reason as illustrated by these startling statistics. Between 2000 and 2006, there were 87 fatalities reported in the U.S. related to televisions falling and 95 percent of those fatally injured were children under 10 years of age. To help prevent such accidents, Consumer Reports and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission offer the following tips:

• Place televisions on furniture that is sturdy and appropriate for the size of the TV.
• Furniture holding the TV should be anchored to the floor or wall using brackets, screws or braces.
• If possible, it is best to use hardware provided by manufacturers.
• Avoid placing TVs on dressers or chests, as children may be tempted to use the drawers to climb and may cause the furniture or TV to topple.
• Make sure that the TV does not hang over the edge of the furniture base and that it is positioned as far back as possible.
• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach children not to play with the cords.
• Keep items that might be attractive to children, such as toys and remote controls, away from the top of the TV or TV stand.