Danger! Furniture and Televisions Can Tip Over Onto Children

Young children may climb furniture to reach items on higher shelves or in drawers. Climbing can cause furniture or televisions to tip over onto a child. Furniture or television tip-overs can cause serious injuries, such as head and internal injuries, which can lead to death.

Since 1990, Health Canada has received more than 5000 reports of televisions and furniture falling over onto children under the age of 10. About 90% of these incidents happened in the home. Most involved televisions, and more than 70% of these incidents happened to children between 1 and 3 years of age.

Even though most incidents reported to Health Canada involved televisions, Health Canada is also concerned about other pieces of furniture falling onto children, such as dressers and bookcases.

Safety Tips

• Always supervise children in the home and teach them not to climb or hang from furniture.
• Choose storage furniture, such as bookcases, cabinets, television stands, and dressers with a wide and stable base that sits directly on the floor. Models with legs or wheels are more likely to tip over.
• Attach furniture to the wall using angle braces, anchors or safety straps. If these items come with the product, follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation. Secure to a dry-wall stud if possible.
• Place televisions far back on low stable furniture that is designed to hold the weight and size of the television. Attach the television to the stand if possible.
• Keep electric cords behind furniture where children cannot reach them.
• Do not place items that may appeal to a child, such as toys, plants and remote controls, on top of a television or tall furniture.

Dressers

Children may climb dressers because the drawers can be opened and used as steps. Opened drawers make a dresser unstable, which increases the chance of it tipping over.

• Do not place televisions on dressers. They are not designed to hold televisions.
• Open only one drawer at a time and close all drawers when not in use.
• Install locking devices on each drawer.
• Place heavier items, such a books, in lower drawers.
• When buying a dresser, look for one that meets the requirements of the current ASTM International Standard Safety Specification for Chests, Door Chests, and Dressers.

For more information contact Product Safety, Health Canada:

• 1-866-662-0666
• www.healthcanada.gc.ca/cps
• cps-spc@hc-sc.gc.ca

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2009
ISBN: 978-0-662-06562-3
Cat. No.: H128-1/09-576
HC Pub.: 4502

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