Furniture Tip-Over FAQs

FAQs About Furniture Tip-over

Question 1. My furniture is a high-end, well-made expensive piece. Can it still tip?

A. YES. Every piece of freestanding furniture/ large appliance and TVs has the capability of tipping. All it takes is for a child to pull on or stand in an open drawer or on a shelf to cause it to top. No PIECE OF FURNITURE OR TELEVISION IS SAFE UNLESS IT IS PROPERLY SECURED TO THE WALL.

Question 2. Do I need to secure my furniture directly into a stud in the wall or will securing it into drywall be sufficient?

A. Neither sheetrock nor drywall is strong enough to withstand the possible torpedo-like fall that an unsecured piece of furniture may cause. The stud in a wall is built to hold the wall and roof of one’s home. All furniture/large appliances/TVs must be properly secured to a stud in the wall.

Question 3. My television is extremely heavy and I need my husband to move it when I clean. My child cannot tip this, can she?

A. A. ABSOLUTELY! Many times televisions are placed on stands which are inappropriately sized for the TV. Any sudden movement can cause the TV and stand to crash forward. (If unable to have a newer, flat screen TV which is properly anchored to the wall, then make sure that TVs are placed on stands which are appropriate for its size. Stands should be very low to the ground and the TVS should be pushed as far back as possible on the stand and both the stand and television properly secured to the wall. ) DO NOT PLACE TVS ON TOPS OF DRESSERS. DO NOT PLACE ITEMS WHICH MAY TEMPT A CHILD TO CLIMB ON TOPS OF THE TVS.

B. Properly secure all stands/TVS to the floor or to a stud in wall.

Question 4. My children are older and out of the climbing age. They sit on the floor now and play video games in front of the television. They are safe, right?

A. Wrong. Many deaths have resulted from older children as they sat in front of the TV playing video games. Many Older televisions are front heavy and any slight movement, whether changing a game, turning it on or off or the excited kick from a child could easily result in both the stand and television to crash forward onto the child.
B. If unable to secure a newer flat screen directly to your wall, then push the television as far back as possible on its stand. Make sure the stand is low to the ground and appropriate for the size of the Television. Properly secure the TV to the stand and to a stud in the wall.

Question 5. My child’s dresser sits low to the ground, it is not very tall. Does it still need to be tethered?

Absolutely! All freestanding furniture/large appliances/TVs need to be properly secured to the wall regardless of its size. If the child opens a drawer and pulls on it or stands in it, the furniture could become a front-heavy torpedo, and the innocent, unsuspecting child, its victim.

Question 6. The risk is so low my child will die; do I really need to be concerned?

A. Unless you want to bury your own child. YES!! No parent who has lost a child expected it to happen to them. Why not do everything you can to keep them safe? We never thought it would happen to us either. It happens to an average of 16 children every year. Don’t let it happen to yours.

Question 7. I have taught my child NEVER to climb on the furniture, so I do not need to worry, right?

A. WRONG. Play is the work of children. Even if your child can parrot back the “rules” to you, it doesn’t mean they will follow them when playing or when they REALLY want to get that (fill in the blank). Kids think they are invincible and do not recognize danger when they are in the moment. It is our job as parents to make their environments as safe as possible.

Question 8. I never leave my child alone and even if something happened I’d be able to save them, right?

A. Even the best parent is never truly within arms reach of their child all the time. There have been parents who were standing in the same room as their child at the time a piece of furniture or Television fell. It takes just a second for furniture to tip, not enough time to stop the crash.

Question 9. Won’t securing furniture and TV’s to the wall cause damage to them and look bad?

A. Are your walls and possessions more precious to you then your child? If not, why do you ask?
Sure, small holes will be put in walls and furniture or strong adhesive to televisions and /or wall/furniture. This may hinder the resale value. Does it really matter that much? Tethering devices can almost always be installed so they are not seen. Holes in objects can be repaired. Your heart, when broken because your child has died, cannot ever be fixed. Which do you prefer?

Question 10. If falling furniture is such a danger, why are there not warning labels saying so on the furniture where it is sold and why are devices to secure them to the wall not readily available at my local store?

A. Excellent question, we wondered the same thing. It is why we’ve been working tirelessly with our US House of Representatives, local government, the CPSC, and ASTM (an international standards organization) to see to it that warnings are included and that the tethering devices are included with at risk pieces of furniture and TV”s and sold at all the places other childproofing items are. In the meantime, our Web sites have information on what and where to buy and what the risks are.