Our home is a place where we should be able to relax and feel safe in, however, there are many areas of a home that could become a real danger if we are not careful. One of those dangers is the risk of furniture tipping over and causing injury. While an accident like this can happen to anyone, children are most vulnerable, and many injuries are reported each year from tip-over accidents. Let’s look at some of the ways you can avoid this happening in your home.
Although furniture manufacturers have to adhere to high safety standards and provide safe assembly guidelines with their furniture items, these will not protect the consumer unless they follow those safety guidelines. For example, items such as dressers or shelving units, etc. should be stabilized by attaching them to a wall which is generally done using L brackets or straps. If this is not done, the item could become a tip-over danger.
It is good to keep items that you do not wish a child to have out of their reach, however, to prevent them from being tempted to climb on furniture to reach the item, it’s also good to keep them out of sight also.
If you wish to purchase a piece of furniture for the home try to look for sturdy items with a wide base which will minimize the risk of it tipping over. It’s also a good idea to place heavier objects on low shelves or in bottom drawers to increase their sturdiness.
Televisions are among the items that can easily tip over. Keep them as far back as you can on a low lying tv unit or stand and be careful that all electrical cords are out of the way of children.
These are just a few of the ways you can work to avoiding tip-over accidents in your home.