The CPSC put out its October 2008 Safety Review and on page two, the commission ackowledges the danger of tipping furniture, and informs parents on how to protect their children.
The report states that between 2000 and 2006, 180 deaths caused by tipping furniture and appliances were reported. The key word is reported, because it's presumed some go un-reported as tipover-related deaths.
Of those, 124 were deaths involving children under the age of 10.
I've reported personally on three of those. The stories are heartwrenching.
Collin Barberino died in December of '04. He was three years old. Collin was napping in his bedroom. He got up to get his favorite pajamas from on top of his dresser. It's believed he used the drawers of the tall dresser to try and reach the PJs when the dresser tipped forward, crushing his body underneath. His mom, as you might imagine, still finds it very hard to talk about the moment she went to his room and found his lifeless body underneath the fallen, giant dresser.
Courtlynn Schneider, also three. It was Christmas Eve 2005. She was watching a movie in her dad's bedroom; he was in another room. The movie ended and she got up to turn the TV off all by herself. The TV sat on top of a dresser. Courtlynn used the drawers to climb up to reach the on/off button. The dresser tipped and the TV came crashing down on Courtlynn. She died Christmas morning of severe head trauma.
And then there's Charlie. Charlie Horn. A northland toddler who was napping in the bedroom he shared with his triplet brother, Will. Charlie got up from his nap to play quietly in his room. He was reaching into the bottom drawer of his dresser which stood only 30" tall. That's about the height of most desks like the one you may be sitting at right now. Charlie leaned into the bottom drawer to get to a toy and the dresser tipped forward. The bottom drawer pushed upwards as it came in contact with the floor, and the top drawers slid out. Charlie died, entagled in the drawers of the tipped dresser. That was November 1, 2007. His family is about to experience the anniversary of Charlie's death. It breaks my heart.
These are just three stories of the dozens in this country. There is a very simple way to keep furniture secure in your homes. You can either buy the furniture/appliance straps available online or in some baby specialty stores:
You can also purchase simple hardware available in any home improvement store:
Either of these devices will save lives.
There have been attempts for the past several years to get Congress to pass legislation requiring makers of tip-prone furniture to include some sort of mechanism for securing furniture to walls. While the legislation has gained popularity among members of Congress, the efforts have died every year because the proposed legislation fails to make it out of committee.
The CPSC has the power to bring about change without congressional approval. If the CPSC deems something dangerous enough, it can require makers of tip-prone furniture to include devices, such as the items above, with furniture sold. So far, the CPSC has done nothing. They are, however, finally acknowledging there is a danger. They are acknowledging that this is a new enough threat that many parents haven't heard of it. They are now telling you about safety precautions you can take, that news outlets across the country have been reporting on for several years.
Here's the link to the October issue of the CPSC's safety review. It's a start.
If you are in need of furniture safety straps and can't find them at our local KC baby stores, please contact me here at the NBC Action News studios. I'll make sure you have what you need to protect your children. Email me at dubill@nbcactionnews.com.