Tip-Over Prevention Awareness Day: Dangers Lurk In TV Stands, Furniture And Appliances

LANSING (WWJ) - Every 45 minutes, a child in the United States ends up in an emergency department because of a TV tipping over.

That's why this Saturday, February 6, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging residents to keep their loved ones safe by observing TV, Furniture and Appliance Tip-Over Prevention Awareness Day.

"Over the past ten years, there has been a 31 percent increase in TV-tip-over related injuries. Fortunately, this is a reversible trend," Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the MDHHS, said in a statement. "Furniture, Appliance, and TV Tip-Over Prevention Awareness Day falls ahead of Super Bowl Sunday – an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the preventive measures families can take to improve the safety of their homes."

Between 2008 and 2010, there were an estimated 25,300 injuries annually in the United States in children age 17 and under related to TV, furniture and appliance tip-overs.

This weekend, all residents are being reminded to ensure their furniture and TVs are properly secured. It is estimated that only one in four adults anchor their TV to a wall. Residents should always  follow the product instructions to ensure a secure installation, and using furniture straps or a bracket to mount flat-screen TVs to the wall are often recommended preventative measures. Heavy, old-style tube TVs should only be placed on a low (below knee-level), stable piece of furniture.

While bookshelves, cabinets, and dressers with drawers should be secured to a wall with a brace or strap, it's important to remember that even low pieces of furniture can move or fall over -- especially if they have drawers that pull out.

For more information on how to create a safe home for children, visit the Safe Kids Michigan Coalition website at michigan.gov/injuryprevention.