Anchor It and Protect a Child: Important Safety Steps to Protect Your Home
Our home should be the one place our children feel safe. Our home should provide our children with the security that nowhere else provides. Our home should be filled with children’s laughter and contentment as they know that nothing will hurt them. However, the hidden dangers in our homes should never be ignored or neglected. The danger of tipping or falling furniture and televisions should never be overlooked.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a new campaign called, “Anchor It” to prevent tip-overs and falling household items that have killed or seriously injured children. The CPSC found that, on average, TVs and large pieces of furniture kill a child every two (2) weeks. Additionally, the report states 38,000 Americans go to the emergency room (ER) each year because of tip-over accidents from top heavy furniture or televisions. Two-thirds of that statistic involves children younger than five (5).
Even more alarming is that, in January, 2015, the CPSC reported that a television tipping over from an average size dresser is like being caught between two (2) NFL linemen colliding at full-speed—10 times. The force is almost inconceivable when you think about it.
This type of personal injury can be avoided if parents/guardians take the necessary steps to eliminate these dangers:
- To prevent TVs, dressers and bookcases from tipping, it is smart to purchase and install low-cost anchoring devices.
- Do not leave items like remotes or toys in places where children may be tempted to climb or grab.
- Always store heavier items on the lower part of shelves.
- Place TVs on low, secure bases and push them back as far as possible.
- If you have recently purchased a new television---look into recycling older ones so that they don’t become hazards around the home.
The simplest of items in your home can create the most danger and it is our effort to keep you informed so that you and your family don’t become a part of this terrible statistic. If you or someone you know has been injured in a tip-over accident, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Kaine Law, LLC.