TV, Furniture on Your Holiday Gift List? Add in an ‘Anti-Tip-Over’ Kit

SUNDAY, Nov. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- If you buy or get items such as furniture or TVs during the holidays, be sure to get anti-tip-over kits for them to protect your children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says.

From 2017 through 2019, an average of 11,100 U.S. children were treated each year in hospital emergency rooms for injuries from tip-overs. And between 2000 and 2019, 469 children aged 17 and younger were killed by furniture and TV tip-overs.

Children younger than 6 account for 79% of tip-overs that result in injuries or death, according to the CPSC.

"Check CPSC's website to make sure your furniture is not subject to a recall," CPSC chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said in a commission news release. "In addition, to reduce a tip-over risk and protect children, parents and caregivers should install anti-tip kits that can be found online or in a hardware store for any TVs or furniture that are not yet secured. Taking these steps now will allow families to have a safer holiday season."

You don't need to be handy to install TV and furniture anchoring kits, because doing so is easy, the agency noted.

The CPSC outlines other furniture and TV safety tips for homes where children live or visit:

• Place the TV on a sturdy, low base, and push the TV back as far as you can, particularly if it's not possible to anchor it.
• Don't display or store items, such as toys and remotes, in places where kids might be tempted to climb up to get them.
• When you buy a new TV, consider recycling older ones not currently in use.
• Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children.

The CPSC is also urging all furniture and TV manufacturers and retailers to include tip-over safety information in their product marketing.

More information

To learn more, check out the CPSC's Anchor It! public awareness campaign.

SOURCE: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, news release, Nov. 15, 2021