A study last May revealed a rise in child injuries due to "falling furniture". What?! What does that mean? How does furniture "fall"? It happens when we forget to secure it to the wall or floor. A study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that 300 children died between 1990 and 2007 due to injuries caused by falling furniture. This equates to about 17 deaths every year.
The study also reports that over 264,000 children are injured by furniture tip-overs during that time. Why do we forget to secure our furniture when we childproof our homes? Could it be that we just can’t envision an armoire or chest of drawers falling over and killing our child as easily as we could see a child getting in to bleach or some other poison that we use daily?
Being a father of young ones, I know that I am guilty of thinking, "Oh that would never happen". But it does happen, and as a matter of fact it did happen to my daughter. Some years ago, my now ten-year-old daughter stood on top of two dressers in her room that met in a corner, and she fell. Unbelievably she wasn’t hurt because the dressers fell into each other, which kept her from being crushed. Unaware at the time of furniture straps, I altered the dressers so they could not fall forward.
Another time, my two girls were visiting their cousin, who was at the time about three-years-old, and they were all playing in the living room at my in-laws’ home. My sister-in-law came into the room to find that one of the girls had climbed to the top of an entertainment center to retrieve a ball. She was already aware of how unsteady the entertainment center was, but never thought one of the kids would actually climb it. She was so terrified at the thought of what could have happened that she got rid of the piece of furniture immediately.
Does this mean that you have to get rid of every piece of furniture that has a wobbly leg? Of course not. However, if you have young children, I would suggest doing what you can to secure it (i.e. furniture straps), or consider getting rid of furniture that you cannot find any means to secure. There are many instruments available to you today to secure your furniture, so it will be rare that you have to get rid of anything. But remember, every dog has its day, and when a piece of furniture is so old that it cannot be restored to a safe condition anymore, it is time to lay it down.
The CPSC offers the following suggestions for any home or care setting that has children:
- Verify that all furniture is stable.
- When putting items in cabinets, dressers etc. place heavier items in bottom drawers or compartments so as to make the furniture bottom-heavy.
- Anchor all entertainment units, TV stands, bookcases, shelving, armoires, bureaus, dressers and the like. Sometimes a furniture manufacturer will provide straps but if they do not you can use after market straps, L-brackets, screws, toggles etc. to secure the piece to the floor or wall.
- Place televisions on sturdy furniture that is appropriate for the size of the television, and push the television as far back as possible on the furniture. Also use any straps or brackets that may have come with the TV to anchor it to the wall or floor.
- Do not put tempting items such as toys and remotes on top of the television. This encourages children to climb, and we all know that children need NO encouragement to climb.
- Try to choose furniture with wide legs or more solid bases and install drawer stops.
If your child is injured by a piece of falling furniture, seek medical attention right away. Sometimes children cannot express their pain or discomfort. If you detect anything is out of the ordinary (fussy or extra tired, etc...), please see a doctor. If your child seems perfectly fine, continue to monitor him or her for the next 24 hours---regardless.
If you have taken every precaution and you cannot seem to secure a piece of furniture, talk to the manufacturer before an accident occurs. It may be that the item has an inherent defect. If the manufacturer is aware of this, and injury occurs, they may be liable. If this is the case it is then time to contact a personal injury attorney.
Here’s hoping that you take the advice set forth above and it prevents any injury like this from ever happening to you or your children. However, please remember, that following the suggestions offered here does not, under any circumstances, guarantee freedom from injury.