Parents of small children are aware of keeping their
children away from things that could potentially harm them, such as sharp
objects, hot equipment, or electrical outlets. But one thing many parents might
not realize is that furniture or television sets also have the potential to
seriously injure a child and in some cases, have even caused death. Television
and furniture tip-over accidents injure a child every 24 minutes in the United
States. 81% of those incidents happen inside the child’s home and 2/3 involve
toddlers.
There was a case earlier this year of an IKEA dresser
tipping over on top of a 22-month-old boy, which unfortunately caused his
death. Because of incidents like this, the CPSC and IKEA announced in July of
2015, a “repair program” for chests and dressers after two separate 2014
incidents resulted in toddler deaths. This repair program allows customers to
request repair kits with hardware for anchoring to the wall, free of charge.
Since then, there have been more than 300,000 kits given to customers, which is
a fraction of the 27 million dressers that were affected by the recall.
It is unfortunate that these types of accidents have
occurred, so it’s important to be aware of how to properly anchor your furniture
or television to prevent this from happening to your child. Here are some tips
suggested by the CPSC’s “Anchor It!” campaign to properly hold down your
furniture:
1.
Make sure when placing a television set that it
is supported only on sturdy furniture made to hold a television. Media centers
and television stands detail their safety and usage details on the packaging.
2.
Flat screen televisions should be mounted to the
wall or furniture. This prevents tip-overs.
3.
Secure any TVs that are not wall-mounted by anchoring
them to the wall.
4.
Remove tempting objects, such as toys, from the
top of furniture and televisions so that children won’t try to climb up and
reach them.
5.
Follow instructions provided by the manufacturer
very carefully when securing TVs and furniture.
6.
Top-heavy furniture should be secured by
purchasing anti-tip brackets. Most new furniture will come with these anti-tip
devices already.
It is a good idea to anchor your furniture even if you do
not have children, in the event that a child might visit your home. Not only
that, but it can also be dangerous for pets and even adults who are bending in
front of furniture. A TV can fall with the force of thousands of pounds, which
can be deadly for small children. Following these safety tips can help prevent
this from happening in your home.
If
you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor,
Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield,
Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City
Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys
know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your
feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the
compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow
Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join
the conversation by using #MCAA.
