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