Keep Your Home Safe with These Essential Furniture Safety Tips
We care about your family’s safety. Explore these simple steps to reduce furniture risks and create a safer home environment for everyone.
Prevent Furniture Tip-Overs
A curious toddler could be eyeing a toy on top of the dresser and before you know it, they're climbing up to grab it. That's when heart-stopping accidents can happen. These simple tips will enhance your home’s safety and give your family peace of mind.
Key Tips
Always anchor furniture with drawers, doors, or shelves—regardless of height.
There is a safety standard for furniture anchors called ASTM F3096-23.
Make sure any anchor you use is marked as compliant with this specific standard.
Store heavier items in lower drawers to reduce the risk of tipping.
Remove tempting items (e.g., toys, remotes) from furniture tops where children can see but not reach.
Bunk Bed Safety Guidelines
Bunk beds are a blast for kids and a great space-saver for small bedrooms, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says children under age 6 should never use the top bunk, and for good reason. More than half of all bunk bed-related injuries involve kids under 6.
Key Tips
Children under 6 should never sleep in the top bunk.
Ensure the top bunk has railings and follow manufacturer’s mattress size recommendations.
No horseplay around or on bunk beds.
Safe Reclining Practices
Recliners, especially with power features, can be dangerous for small children. Fingers and limbs can get caught in the footrest, and tragically, some toddlers have been fatally injured under recliners. Always supervise children around these chairs, as new safety standards are being developed to prevent such accidents.
Key Tips
Keep children in view when closing a recliner, especially with power features.
Avoid allowing children or pets under recliners when in use.
Keep Safety in Clear View with Glass Tables
An estimated 2.5 million people – mostly children under 7 and adults in their early 20s – injure themselves on glass tabletops each year. Make sure any glass tabletop, whether inside or outside, is tempered glass.
Key Tips
Only use tempered glass for tabletops, indoor or outdoor.
Discourage children from playing near glass tables.
TV Safety: Stay Tuned to Tip-Over Prevention
Since 2013, nearly 100 children have been killed by TV tip-over accidents. All it can take is a second for you to look away and something tragic to happen. Follow these tips for securing your TV in your home.
Keep remote controls, candy, toys and any other tempting items off the tops of TVs and furniture where your youngster can see but not reach them.
Key Tips
Wall-mount TVs whenever possible.
If wall-mounting isn’t possible, place TVs on low, sturdy furniture and anchor them to the wall or furniture.
Never place TVs on furniture not designed to hold electronics.
Check Before You Buy: Second-Hand Furniture Safety
The early years of a child’s life come with many expenses, making new furniture for clothing storage difficult to prioritize. However, as infants grow into toddlers, an unstable second-hand chest or dresser can pose a serious safety risk.
Key Tips
Inspect second-hand furniture for broken parts, loose hardware, or instability.
Choose safer options like baskets or bins if the furniture can’t be fixed.
Additional Resources
