Dangerous Falling Furniture Protecting Your Children

Furniture injuries can lead to a child facing broken bones or even being crushed. Recently, Ikea recalled furniture items because they could tip if they weren’t anchored to the walls.

Furniture hazards aren’t new to Ikea or other companies; they aren’t limited to recalls, either. It’s been shown that over 25,000 children are injured every year because of furniture that tips over. That’s not the only reason, either. Another 430 children died from furniture that fell on them between 2000 and 2013, a 2014 report stated.

The most common pieces of furniture to fall and cause fatalities are televisions. They were responsible for 65 percent of the child deaths related to falling furniture. Another 20 percent of deaths could be attributed to falling chests, bureaus and dressers.

To prevent these incidents, don’t put your TV close to the edge of the stand. Children nearby could accidentally knock over the TV by bumping into it. Use drawer stops to prevent drawers from pulling out, and make sure electrical cords are out of reach. If your child might reach for an object like a remote or toy, don’t put those items on top furniture.

Remember that some furniture does come with wall attachments that you can use to secure the furniture. While this means drilling into your wall, it also means securing your furniture to make sure it doesn’t tip over. If you find that a piece of furniture that has injured your child has been recalled, you could have a case, so it’s worth looking it up if an injury occurs.

Source: Fox News, “Ikea’s dresser recall: 7 tips to prevent furniture injuries,” Rachael Rettner, July 01, 2016