A recently published study found a serious problem with children being injured and even killed by falling furniture, especially tipping and falling televisions. (The study on this was released within the last two weeks. Sorry I don’t have the link handy, but you can Google it.)
Of course “serious problem” is a bad choice of words in my first sentence. If you child has been injured or even died because of a toppled dresser or television, that absolutely is a serious problem. There’s really no acceptable low-end number for such tragic accidents.
Perhaps a flat screen TV held in place by a good, sturdy TV wall mount, is the answer to such problems. Certainly an effort to secure your television against tipping and falling hazards is a good place to start. We presently have only one television in the house, and it’s about 8 years old and very heavy. Fortunately, it sits on a secure, stable, flat surface — and we have no small children in the house.
According to one online source, the recently released study found as many as 14,700 children were injured annually by falling furniture and televisions. That’s incredible.
What’s the solution? How about simple attention to such details. Make sure any heavy furniture and/or televisions in your house are stable and secure, and that small kids climbing on them can’t tip them over. That’s certainly a start.