You wouldn't think to bring a baby home from the hospital without a car seat or have your child ride a bike without a helmet. Protecting your children from the potential risk of TV and furniture tip-overs is another important part of keeping them safe.
THE FACTS: Every 3 weeks a child dies from a television tipping over. Over the past 10 years, a child visited the emergency room every 45 minutes because of a TV tipping over.
Here are some tips to prevent TV and furniture tip-overs to keep your child safe:
- Assess the stability of the TVs in your home.
- Mount flat-panel TVs to the wall to prevent them from toppling off stands. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that you have a secure fit.
- If you have a heavier, box-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TV, place it on a low, stable piece of furniture that is appropriate for the TV's size and weight.
- If you no longer use your CRT TV, consider recycling it. To find a location to safely and easily recycle unwanted TVs, go to www.GreenerGadgets.org. Here are some step-by-step tips to help.
- Use brackets, braces or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall