Posted by Stefanie Zucker on December 4, 2023 · 2 Comments
It’s not something we like to think about…and it certainly could never happen to us…but the reality is that every 2 weeks a child dies because an unsecured appliance or piece of furniture has toppled over onto them. In fact between 2000–2008, the CPSC received reports of nearly 200 tipover deaths among children 8 and younger. More than 90% of them involve children under 5!
Typically, injuries and deaths occur when children climb onto, fall against or pull themselves up on television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests and appliances. Sometimes it’s the out-of-reach item placed on top of furniture, in other cases it’s the furniture or appliance itself that will topple causing serious if not fatal injuries. The CPSC has issued a warning, urging parents to inspect and secure these items. They also offer the following safety tips:
- Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests, dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
- Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves.
- Push the TV as far back on its stand as possible.
- Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach and teach kids not to play with them.
- Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking the TV over.
- Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.
One thing we often forget is that even when our own home has been thoroughly baby-proofed, our friends and family’s homes will likely not have received the same attention. It’s up to us to be vigilant…wherever we may be.
Especially good news if you have a climber! I had a friend whose toddler climbed onto the toilet, jumped 4 feet to the sink, rappelled up the medicine chest (2 feet above the sink), found the box of Ex-Lax in the back of the top shelf – and devoured it. Luckily it was ‘only’ Ex-lax. Never underestimate the determination of a toddler.
.-= Rebecca Wear Robinson´s last blog ..Teenagers – What should you teach them =-.
….scary isn’t it how talented they are.
You bring up a good point which is don’t just believe that because something is out of reach, a child will not be able to find a way to get to it. To a child, Ex-Lax is for all intents and purposes “chocolate”. It is designed to taste good. We need to keep items like this under lock and key. Thanks for reminding us!
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Did You Know…Every 2 weeks a child dies from a “tipover” =-.