Would you bring a baby home from the hospital without a car seat or have your child ride a bike without a helmet? This blog post provides information about how to protect your children from another potential safety risk: protecting your children from TV and furniture tip-overs.
“From 2017 through 2019, an average of more than 11,000 children per year were treated in hospital ERs for injuries related to tip-over incidents, according to CPSC. An overwhelming majority, or 79%, of the fatalities were kids younger than six, and 75% of the deaths involved a TV”, per the article from CBS News, found at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/furniture-tipover-deaths-2000-2019/.
Did you know that every 3 weeks, a child dies from a television tipping over? Each day, ten kids go to the ER because of a TV tip-over. Per information shared by Safe Kids Worldwide, there are several simple ways that parents and caregivers can help protect them, so they do not become a statistic.
- Secure TVs. Mount flat-panel TVs to the wall. Place older, box-style TVs (CRTs) on low, stable furniture that can hold the weight. Mount flat screen TVs to the wall. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure you protect your wall and have a secure fit. If you have a heavier, box-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TV place it on a low, stable piece of furniture that can hold the TV’s size and weight.
- Attach furniture to the wall. Use anti-tip brackets, braces or wall straps to secure furniture to the wall. Install stops on dresser drawers to keep them from being pulled all the way out. Use anti-tip brackets, braces or wall straps to secure furniture to the wall. Install stops on dresser drawers to keep them from being pulled all the way out. Multiple open drawers can cause the weight to shift, making it easier for a dresser to tip over.
- Rearrange household items. Store heavy objects on lower shelves or in lower drawers. Avoid placing remote controls, toys or other items in places where kids might be tempted to climb up or reach for them. Keep heavier items on lower shelves and in lower drawers. Avoid placing remote controls, food, toys or other items in places where kids might be tempted to climb up or reach for them.
- Recycle old TVs. To find a location that safely and easily recycles unwanted TVs, go to www.GreenerGadgets.org.