These low-cost fixes can help prevent a potentially life threatening accident from occurring under your roof
5 Things to Know About Kid-Proofing Your Furniture
Alice Tacheny Design

A child is injured every 30 minutes by tipped or falling furniture. Kim Dulic, spokesperson for the CPSC and Anchor It campaign manager, gave us some guidelines to ensure that heavy pieces do not topple over.

Select furniture that’s intended to hold large items

Televisions (or other heavy items) should not be placed on just any flat, elevated surface, so unfortunately you cannot just reinforce any existing piece of furniture. Put your TV on a piece that is designed to hold the weight, such as television stands or media centers, and place heavier items in lower drawers to ground the piece.

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Secure your TV

Mount flat-screen TVs to the wall to prevent them from toppling over. Freestanding televisions not mounted should still be anchored to a wall or stand using an anti-tip device. If you don’t feel comfortable mounting a TV, you can hire a handyman to do it.

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Fasten furniture

Top-heavy pieces such as a dresser or armoire should be anchored with inexpensive anti-tip straps ($5; bedbathandbeyond.com). New furniture pieces are now sold with these devices and should be installed immediately.

Follow instructions

Don’t just toss the instruction manual in the trash. Make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions to secure TVs and furniture properly—it’s provided for a reason.

Related: 18 best spots to buy furniture online

Eliminate appealing items

Curious kids climb and hang on furniture in order to reach their favorite plush toy, remote control, juice boxes, DVDs, and other accessories. Keep these items out of sight when not in use so the little ones aren’t tempted to climb up and grab them.