Furniture Safety Week Highlights Hidden Home Hazards

Furniture-related accidents in the home cause thousands of injuries each year, with a significant number of these incidents involving children. A new initiative, Furniture Safety Week, aims to bring attention to these hidden hazards and promote safer home environments, particularly for families with young children.

The release highlights the dangers posed by furniture that can tip over, especially for toddlers. From 2013 to 2023, more than 100 children ages one to three were killed in furniture tip-over accidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Thousands more are injured annually due to furniture tipping over and falling on children. To mitigate this risk, homeowners are advised to anchor furniture with drawers or shelves that young children might climb onto, store heavier items in bottom drawers, and keep remote controls and other tempting items off the top of furniture where children cannot reach them.

Bunk beds, a popular space-saving solution, also carry a warning label advising parents not to allow small children to use the top bunk. More than half of all bunk bed-related injuries involve kids under the age of six. Federal bunk bed construction standards require precise measurements for the top railings, no finials or post extensions on the top bunk, and a detailed warning label that specifies the exact size mattress recommended for both the top and bottom bunk.

Reclining furniture poses another potential hazard, especially for children who are fascinated by the moving parts. Caregivers should keep children and pets in view when closing a recliner, particularly those with motorized features. In recent years, several toddlers were killed after climbing under a recliner and getting caught in the closing mechanism. For households with a toddler or a baby who has begun crawling, caregivers should consider unplugging power furniture when not in use.

Glass-top tables are another hazard, as they can cause injuries to both children and adults if not constructed with tempered glass. An estimated 2.5 million people, many of them children under the age of seven, are injured by broken glass-top tables every year. Tempered glass is stronger and safer than non-tempered glass, as it breaks into small pieces rather than jagged shards.

Finally, unsecured televisions remain a cause of many tragic home accidents. From 2013 to 2023, 90 children were killed when a TV or a TV plus the furniture it was sitting on tipped over and fell on them, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In households with small children, all TVs should be wall-mounted, if possible. If wall-mounting is not an option, TVs should be placed on a low, sturdy cabinet and secured to the wall or to the furniture with a TV anchor. And never place a TV on furniture that was not built to accommodate electronics.

The release also provides tips on how to anchor furniture, including how-to videos available at AnchorIt.gov, a furniture and TV safety website created by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. More home safety tips are available at Alliance4Safety.org.

In summary, Furniture Safety Week aims to raise awareness of these hidden hazards and promote safer home environments, particularly for families with young children. By taking simple precautions, homeowners can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and ensure a safer home for their families.