Secure children's furniture to walls
Furniture giant Ikea has recalled one of its ranges due to child deaths, which is why it is of the utmost importance to secure furniture to walls in a child's bedroom.
22/06/2018
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Thanks to the power of the Internet, a recent viral video showing how a brother miraculously saves his twin has highlighted the danger of children's furniture and the importance of fastening furniture to walls.
In the video - included below - the two young boys can be seen climbing on a chest of drawers, when it tips over on top of one of the children. "This is one of the main reasons why we don't include bunk beds in our range," said Brett Turner of www.Design-A-Bed.co.za. "As a young child I was active to the point of being dangerous and would climb on anything. Fortunately, I survived a very serious fall from a top bunk, but this cemented the dangers of children's furniture firmly in my mind."
As a mother of two boys I can testify to the fact that they can get up to mischief as soon as you turn your head. It's only as they've grown up and told me some of their escapades that I discovered just how much they did get up to when I wasn't looking. I am amazed that I wasn't taking them to the emergency room more often!
Janice Anderssen
Child deaths from climbing on or tipping over furniture is a serious concern that all parents should be aware of. In the US, over 3 million injuries are reported each year from unintentional falls or children climbing near unsecured furniture, playing near windows or accidents on playground equipment.
Securely fasten furniture in place
- TV's are the most common cause of child
accidents. Children grab hold of the TV to climb
and end up tipping the TV on top of them. Make
sure to secure your TV to a heavy cabinet or
fasten securely onto a wall.
- Drawer units and bookcases are like a
climbing frame to young children. They pull out
the drawers to climb as high as they can. It's
important to fasten the side of the cabinet to a
wall to prevent this from tipping over.
- Try to avoid bedroom furniture that children
can use as adventure equipment. Loft beds and
bunk beds are cause for pause. If you know your
child likes to push the limits - don't give him
or her the opportunity to do so.
Always give careful thought when buying new furniture if there are young children in the home. If it can tip over - secure it to the wall. If it can be pulled down - fasten it securely. Child-proofing a home is more than sharp edges, it's about assessing any possible danger and preventing this from happening.