Oaklee’s Guest Post by Laura Nikolovska, Program Director of Kids In Danger, a Chicago non-profit focused on improving children’s product safety.
Father’s Day is almost here! KID knows that fathers pride themselves on being able to keep their families safe. However, furniture tip-overs are on the rise and they are a danger that can be completely avoided. Every 24 minutes a child is injured from tipped furniture or TVs. Furniture tip-overs have been in the news lately because of the recent child deaths from IKEA dressers—3 toddlers have died since February 2014 from this dresser alone.
Furniture and TV tip-overs pose a real threat to families, but can be prevented if all families #AnchorIt. In addition to anchoring furniture, these simple tips can help keep your kid safe:
- Avoid keeping attractive items, such as toys, in places where kids might be tempted to climb and reach for them.
- Store heavier items on lower shelves or in lower drawers.
- Place TVs on a sturdy, low base and push the TVs as far back as possible.
Anchoring is easy, inexpensive, and only takes a few minutes to do. Follow this how-to guide on anchoring and making your home safer for your family. In just a few minutes of work, you can increase the safety of your children and be a true hero to your family. Remember that you are not alone, KID is working with regulators and manufacturers to design furniture less likely to tip -over.