Frequently Asked Questions About Tip-Over Prevention
Q: It seems like the chances of this happening and my child getting seriously hurt or dying is really low. Do I really need to be concerned?
A: YES! About every 45 minutes someone is rushed to the E.R. because they are injured by a fallen piece of furniture, a TV, or an appliance. A child dies on average every 2 weeks. None of them ever thought it would be their child, either. If you are not sure, take our furniture safety quiz.
Q: We have really expensive, heavy, and well-made furniture. It’s safe and doesn't need to be secured, right?
A: Wrong. ALL furniture has the potential to become unstable and tip-over. Physics is what causes furniture to tip and those physics are different every time you or a child opens a drawer(s), puts pressure on a drawer, climbs or attempts to climb, or even just bumps into it!
It doesn't matter whether the furniture is tall or short, heavy or light, expensive or "cheap", who made it, or how much you paid for it. If it's not properly anchored to the wall it can tip-over and seriously injure or kill a child. I promise you, none of the nearly 500 parents whose children have died from a furniture or TV tip-over thought it would happen to their kids, either.
Q: My child is not a climber and knows they shouldn't climb on furniture or touch the tvs. Why do I need to put holes in my walls and spend all that money to buy straps if my child is not a climber and knows better?
A: Play is the work of children. Just because you have never seen your child climb doesn't mean they won’t someday. It only takes one time. Even if a child “knows better,” when in a different place or while engaged in playing with others, they may not remember what you've told them or truly understand the risks. Most kids don’t comprehend what injury and death really mean until they are tweens or teens! It’s our job as parents to make their environment safer, not rely on them to remember. It’s also our job to be sure every place our child spends time is safely childproofed, including furniture and TVs being secured.
Q: I’m always with my child and they are never out of my sight so why would I need to worry? Even if they were to tip something over, I would be right there to stop it.
A: Realistically, you cannot be with your child constantly, especially once they become mobile. You sleep. They sleep. Meghan died while we were all sleeping! You use the bathroom while your kids are in another room. You look at your phone or computer when they are playing nearby. Many, many parents have literally been in the same room with their child when a TV or piece of furniture fell on them and they were powerless to get there fast enough to stop it. It happens SO FAST. You are not faster than gravity. Watch the CPSC YouTube video on tip-overs taken from actual nanny camera or cell phone footage to see for yourself. (Thankfully, none of the children in that video were seriously injured, but could have been).
Q: I don’t want to damage my furniture or walls. What can I do instead?
A: You could remove all the furniture and TV’s from your home. That’s really the only other safe option. Seriously. For every room your child could access in your home, ALL the furniture with drawers, doors, and shelves as well as the TVs need to be properly secured. Appliances too. It’s not just bedroom dressers or big tube TV’s that could tip. All TV’s and all furniture has the potential to fall on your child.
A hole in your furniture or your wall can be repaired. The hole in your heart because your child has suffered serious injury or died because you didn't secure your furniture and TVs is something that never heals. Trust me.
Q: How old does my child have to be for me to not have to worry about tip-overs?
A: While the greatest risk is to children under the age of 6, tip-over accidents can and do happen to much older children and even adults. In fact 15% of tip-over deaths involve adults over the age of 60! You also must consider your child’s cognitive and physical abilities or disabilities. Certainly, any child under 10 is at particular risk.
Q: I rent and my landlord won’t let me put a hole in the wall. What can I do?
A: First, have you asked and told them why you want to put a hole in the wall? Provide information from the Meghan’s Hope Web site, Facebook page, and a copy of the Be With Me Just for Today blog post. Ask them to watch the CPSC’s YouTube video on falling furniture and TV’s.
Ask if they are willing to accept responsibility should your child be injured or killed because they wouldn’t let you secure furniture and TV to the walls.
Of course, offer to patch any holes and paint before moving out. If that does not work, I say do it anyway. Yes, you will likely forfeit your security deposit, but that’s a lot less expensive than the cost of medical care or funeral expenses should the worst happen.
Q: My walls don’t have wood studs in them. How do I safely secure things to the walls?
A: You can use special bolts for the type of material your walls are made out of. These bolts come in different sizes. Use drywall anchors or toggle bolts if you absolutely have to anchor into drywall, but a stud is always preferred, even if you have to move the furniture a bit to get it closer to the stud.
Inquire at your local hardware or home improvement store if you have masonry walls or metal studs. A special drill bit may be required as well. You could also ask friends/family or hire a professional child proofer or handyman to help you with installation. http://www.iafcs.org/findachildproofer.asp?fl=CHP
Q: My ____________ (husband, mother, daycare provider, school, religious hall, friend, etc.) where my child spends time doesn’t think securing furniture and TVs is are necessary and won’t do it. What can I do?
A: If providing them with the statistics and information from the Meghan’s Hope Web site, Facebook page, and Be With Me Just for Today blog post are not enough to convince them, show them the CPSC video on YouTube so they can see how fast it happens.
Offer to do it for them or with them. If they still refuse, do it yourself (for a family member or friend, they won’t un-do it once it’s done!) or refuse to allow your child to go to that home/place until everything is secured. For child care or other facilities, you can call the regulatory agency and file a complaint or voice your concern as well, be sure to provide supporting information if you do. Reach out to me if you need supporting information!
Q: Flat screen TV’s are lighter so why do they need to be secured?
A: Small flat screens may only weigh 10-20 pounds but larger ones can weigh substantially more. Think in terms of bowling balls. If the equivalent of even just one bowling ball fell on your child’s head, they would be seriously injured if not killed. That's certainly enough to break bones or fracture their skull and cause a catastrophic brain injury.
Lighter TVs are also inherently more unstable and can fall even more easily, especially if whatever they are sitting on is bumped into.
They should ideally be secured directly on the wall, but could also be secured to the wall with straps or to the entertainment unit or furniture on which it sits (which also then needs to be secured to the wall).
Q: What do I do with my old TV when replacing it with a flat screen to be sure it is safe?
A: Ideally, you should recycle it properly and cut the electrical cord so it cannot ever pose a danger to a child again. If it is moved to another room of the home, make sure it is on an appropriately sized stand and both the TV and the stand are secured properly to the wall. Some electronic stores like Best Buy or local recycling centers will accept old electronics like TVs although they may charge a small fee, it's well worth it.
Q: Where can I buy furniture and TV straps and how do I know how much weight they will hold or how many I need?
A: Your local baby, hardware, or home improvement stores or websites may have them. Amazon.com carries most every kind of childproofing device out there, including furniture, TV, and appliance straps. Unfortunately, very few furniture and TV straps/restraints have been tested for weight capacity. Refer to the Meghan’s Hope Furniture Safety Device Resource List for additional information. When in doubt, use several straps, especially for large and heavy pieces.
IMPORTANT WARNING about copy cat/knock off anchors:
I've noticed quite a few "knock-off" or copy cat furniture straps/anchors for sale on Amazon and other places. They often closely resemble name-brand furniture anchors/straps, but in my experience, tend to be made from inferior materials that are more prone to failure. I strongly recommend you choose only name-brand anchors (Safety 1st, Kidco, Hangman, Quakehold) and avoid anchors that are made by companies you've never heard of and/or are inexpensive compared to the name brands. I also recommend avoiding plastic cable tie anchors, adhesive style anchors, and anchors with a small braided wire that looks like it's for a luggage tag.
Q: What about hotels, schools, and childcare facilities? How do I know if they are safe?
A: Education is the key. Many of these places just don’t know about or understand the risks and dangers of tip-overs. Regulations vary by state for schools and licensed childcare facilities. Most childcare facilities at gyms or churches are not regulated at all. Ask questions and check for yourself to see what is secured and what is not. Provide information on why everything should be secured and demand that they do it for the sake of child safety and to protect them from liability. Refer them to this website, or any of the listed resource sites. Offer to help install the devices or suggest people who can. Help us make public places safer!
A: YES! About every 45 minutes someone is rushed to the E.R. because they are injured by a fallen piece of furniture, a TV, or an appliance. A child dies on average every 2 weeks. None of them ever thought it would be their child, either. If you are not sure, take our furniture safety quiz.
Q: We have really expensive, heavy, and well-made furniture. It’s safe and doesn't need to be secured, right?
A: Wrong. ALL furniture has the potential to become unstable and tip-over. Physics is what causes furniture to tip and those physics are different every time you or a child opens a drawer(s), puts pressure on a drawer, climbs or attempts to climb, or even just bumps into it!
It doesn't matter whether the furniture is tall or short, heavy or light, expensive or "cheap", who made it, or how much you paid for it. If it's not properly anchored to the wall it can tip-over and seriously injure or kill a child. I promise you, none of the nearly 500 parents whose children have died from a furniture or TV tip-over thought it would happen to their kids, either.
Q: My child is not a climber and knows they shouldn't climb on furniture or touch the tvs. Why do I need to put holes in my walls and spend all that money to buy straps if my child is not a climber and knows better?
A: Play is the work of children. Just because you have never seen your child climb doesn't mean they won’t someday. It only takes one time. Even if a child “knows better,” when in a different place or while engaged in playing with others, they may not remember what you've told them or truly understand the risks. Most kids don’t comprehend what injury and death really mean until they are tweens or teens! It’s our job as parents to make their environment safer, not rely on them to remember. It’s also our job to be sure every place our child spends time is safely childproofed, including furniture and TVs being secured.
Q: I’m always with my child and they are never out of my sight so why would I need to worry? Even if they were to tip something over, I would be right there to stop it.
A: Realistically, you cannot be with your child constantly, especially once they become mobile. You sleep. They sleep. Meghan died while we were all sleeping! You use the bathroom while your kids are in another room. You look at your phone or computer when they are playing nearby. Many, many parents have literally been in the same room with their child when a TV or piece of furniture fell on them and they were powerless to get there fast enough to stop it. It happens SO FAST. You are not faster than gravity. Watch the CPSC YouTube video on tip-overs taken from actual nanny camera or cell phone footage to see for yourself. (Thankfully, none of the children in that video were seriously injured, but could have been).
Q: I don’t want to damage my furniture or walls. What can I do instead?
A: You could remove all the furniture and TV’s from your home. That’s really the only other safe option. Seriously. For every room your child could access in your home, ALL the furniture with drawers, doors, and shelves as well as the TVs need to be properly secured. Appliances too. It’s not just bedroom dressers or big tube TV’s that could tip. All TV’s and all furniture has the potential to fall on your child.
A hole in your furniture or your wall can be repaired. The hole in your heart because your child has suffered serious injury or died because you didn't secure your furniture and TVs is something that never heals. Trust me.
Q: How old does my child have to be for me to not have to worry about tip-overs?
A: While the greatest risk is to children under the age of 6, tip-over accidents can and do happen to much older children and even adults. In fact 15% of tip-over deaths involve adults over the age of 60! You also must consider your child’s cognitive and physical abilities or disabilities. Certainly, any child under 10 is at particular risk.
Q: I rent and my landlord won’t let me put a hole in the wall. What can I do?
A: First, have you asked and told them why you want to put a hole in the wall? Provide information from the Meghan’s Hope Web site, Facebook page, and a copy of the Be With Me Just for Today blog post. Ask them to watch the CPSC’s YouTube video on falling furniture and TV’s.
Ask if they are willing to accept responsibility should your child be injured or killed because they wouldn’t let you secure furniture and TV to the walls.
Of course, offer to patch any holes and paint before moving out. If that does not work, I say do it anyway. Yes, you will likely forfeit your security deposit, but that’s a lot less expensive than the cost of medical care or funeral expenses should the worst happen.
Q: My walls don’t have wood studs in them. How do I safely secure things to the walls?
A: You can use special bolts for the type of material your walls are made out of. These bolts come in different sizes. Use drywall anchors or toggle bolts if you absolutely have to anchor into drywall, but a stud is always preferred, even if you have to move the furniture a bit to get it closer to the stud.
Inquire at your local hardware or home improvement store if you have masonry walls or metal studs. A special drill bit may be required as well. You could also ask friends/family or hire a professional child proofer or handyman to help you with installation. http://www.iafcs.org/findachildproofer.asp?fl=CHP
Q: My ____________ (husband, mother, daycare provider, school, religious hall, friend, etc.) where my child spends time doesn’t think securing furniture and TVs is are necessary and won’t do it. What can I do?
A: If providing them with the statistics and information from the Meghan’s Hope Web site, Facebook page, and Be With Me Just for Today blog post are not enough to convince them, show them the CPSC video on YouTube so they can see how fast it happens.
Offer to do it for them or with them. If they still refuse, do it yourself (for a family member or friend, they won’t un-do it once it’s done!) or refuse to allow your child to go to that home/place until everything is secured. For child care or other facilities, you can call the regulatory agency and file a complaint or voice your concern as well, be sure to provide supporting information if you do. Reach out to me if you need supporting information!
Q: Flat screen TV’s are lighter so why do they need to be secured?
A: Small flat screens may only weigh 10-20 pounds but larger ones can weigh substantially more. Think in terms of bowling balls. If the equivalent of even just one bowling ball fell on your child’s head, they would be seriously injured if not killed. That's certainly enough to break bones or fracture their skull and cause a catastrophic brain injury.
Lighter TVs are also inherently more unstable and can fall even more easily, especially if whatever they are sitting on is bumped into.
They should ideally be secured directly on the wall, but could also be secured to the wall with straps or to the entertainment unit or furniture on which it sits (which also then needs to be secured to the wall).
Q: What do I do with my old TV when replacing it with a flat screen to be sure it is safe?
A: Ideally, you should recycle it properly and cut the electrical cord so it cannot ever pose a danger to a child again. If it is moved to another room of the home, make sure it is on an appropriately sized stand and both the TV and the stand are secured properly to the wall. Some electronic stores like Best Buy or local recycling centers will accept old electronics like TVs although they may charge a small fee, it's well worth it.
Q: Where can I buy furniture and TV straps and how do I know how much weight they will hold or how many I need?
A: Your local baby, hardware, or home improvement stores or websites may have them. Amazon.com carries most every kind of childproofing device out there, including furniture, TV, and appliance straps. Unfortunately, very few furniture and TV straps/restraints have been tested for weight capacity. Refer to the Meghan’s Hope Furniture Safety Device Resource List for additional information. When in doubt, use several straps, especially for large and heavy pieces.
IMPORTANT WARNING about copy cat/knock off anchors:
I've noticed quite a few "knock-off" or copy cat furniture straps/anchors for sale on Amazon and other places. They often closely resemble name-brand furniture anchors/straps, but in my experience, tend to be made from inferior materials that are more prone to failure. I strongly recommend you choose only name-brand anchors (Safety 1st, Kidco, Hangman, Quakehold) and avoid anchors that are made by companies you've never heard of and/or are inexpensive compared to the name brands. I also recommend avoiding plastic cable tie anchors, adhesive style anchors, and anchors with a small braided wire that looks like it's for a luggage tag.
Q: What about hotels, schools, and childcare facilities? How do I know if they are safe?
A: Education is the key. Many of these places just don’t know about or understand the risks and dangers of tip-overs. Regulations vary by state for schools and licensed childcare facilities. Most childcare facilities at gyms or churches are not regulated at all. Ask questions and check for yourself to see what is secured and what is not. Provide information on why everything should be secured and demand that they do it for the sake of child safety and to protect them from liability. Refer them to this website, or any of the listed resource sites. Offer to help install the devices or suggest people who can. Help us make public places safer!