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Parents know that they must “baby-proof” their homes; however, most parents do not think of shelves, dressers or TV screens as possible dangers to small children. But they are.

On July 22, 2015 the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with IKEA, announced a serious defect involving 27 million IKEA MALM chests and dressers, and other styles of  chests and dressers at IKEA. If not attached to the wall, they may tip over and cause an entrapment hazard.  This is particularly dangerous to small children. The North American branch of the Swedish furniture giant announced the problem after reports of 14 tip-overs, resulting in four injuries and two deaths.  

How do furniture tip-over accidents happen?

According to the CPSC, tip-over injuries and deaths tend to occur “when children climb onto, fall against or pull themselves up on television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests and appliances.” Since many American homes are furnished with wall-mounted TVs, oversized shelves, large appliances and big, unstable pieces of furniture, the CPSC says that these types of injuries are becoming much more common.

Furniture and TV tip-overs have been a top concern at CPSC. A child dies every two weeks and one is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or TVs tipping over, according to CPSC data.

Manufacturer standards have been established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) which stipulate that dressers, chests of drawers and armoires should be able to remain upright when any doors or all drawers are open two-thirds of the way or when one drawer or door is opened and 50 pounds of weight are applied to the front. UL (Underwriters Laboratories) says that units should be able to remain upright when placed on a 10-degree angle with 70 pounds on top, to simulate the weight of a television. These standards are voluntary. Manufacturers do not have to comply with them.

Who is most at risk?

According to a study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital released in 2009, from 1990-2007 (most latest available data) an average of nearly 15 thousand children younger than 18 years of age visited emergency rooms annually for injuries received from furniture tipping over. Most of the injuries were suffered by children younger than 7 years old and resulted from televisions tipping over. Children who were between 10 and 17 years old more likely suffered injuries from desks, cabinets or bookshelves tipping over. The injuries associated with these tip-overs were most commonly head and neck injuries to young children with older children suffering lower body injuries.

What is IKEA doing to fix the dresser tip-over problem?

About 7 million MALM chests and 20 million other IKEA chests are part of its nationwide repair program. IKEA is offering U.S. consumers a wall anchorage repair kit, free of charge. The kit contains replacement tip-over restraints for use by any consumer who has not secured their IKEA chest or dresser to the wall. It also includes hardware, instructions, and warning labels to be affixed to the furniture. Owners of IKEA chests and dressers are encouraged to contact IKEA to receive a free anchoring kit to attach the furniture to the wall, or you can call the company toll free at 888.966.4532.

What is the furniture industry doing to prevent such injuries?

USA Today reported in July 2015 that the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which represents more than 200 large furniture manufacturers and importers, has been active in efforts to improve safety measures to reduce the number of furniture tip-over accidents. Since 2000, the furniture industry has been guided by a succession of voluntary stability standards for dressers and other wardrobe storage units. The current standard, in effect since 2009, calls for furniture to remain steady when all drawers are open and when a 50-pound weight is placed at the front of a drawer. That is meant to simulate a child around the age of 5 attempting to climb on furniture. Chests and dressers also are supposed to have tip restraints that consumers can use to attach the furniture to a wall.

TV and furniture tip-over prevention tips from SafeKids.org says:

Check TVs

• Assess the stability of the TVs in your home.

Secure TVs

• Mount flat screen TVs to the wall to reduce the risk of TVs toppling off stands. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure you protect your wall and 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.

Secure Furniture

• Use brackets, braces or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall.
• Install stops on dresser drawers to prevent them from being pulled all the way out. Multiple open drawers can cause the weight to shift, making it easier for a dresser to fall.

Rearrange Household Items

• Keep heavier items on lower shelves or in lower drawers.
• Avoid placing remote controls, food, toys or other items in places where children might be tempted to climb up or reach for them.

If your child is injured by falling or tipping furniture, you may in fact have grounds to file a lawsuit. Contact a personal injury attorney at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. to determine your rights," says Fort Myers Child Accident Attorney Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers Child Injuries Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.