Furniture Safety Week spotlights hidden home hazards

Furniture Safety Week runs Oct. 5-10 with a focus on tip-over dangers, unsafe fabrics, recliners, bunk beds, and glass tabletops. The campaign aims to reduce child injuries and deaths tied to common home furniture risks.

Why it matters: - Furniture tip-overs kill and injure children every year, and the risk is highest for young kids. - From 2013 to 2023, more than 100 children ages 1 to 3 died in furniture tip-over accidents. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says thousands of additional children are injured each year when furniture falls on them. - Furniture Safety Week runs Oct. 5-10 to push safer buying, setup and use of furniture at home.

What happened: - Furniture Safety Week is highlighting seven home-safety tips tied to furniture and related products. - CertiPUR-US is a collaborator for Furniture Safety Week. - The American Home Furnishings Alliance launched Furniture Safety Week in 2024 to raise awareness about furniture-related home safety issues.

The details: - Fabric dressers with a metal frame and fabric drawers pose a tip-over risk and usually do not meet the clothing-storage furniture stability standard. - By law, clothing storage furniture must be engineered so it will not fall over if children climb on it or if all drawers are opened at once. - If a fabric dresser tips, it can crush small children or someone’s feet. - Consumers can check SaferProducts.gov to see whether a fabric dresser has been recalled. - Consumers can follow recall instructions for a full refund or report a fabric dresser that has not been recalled. - Dressers and chests used to store clothing should have a manufacture date checked on the back of the furniture. - Clothing storage furniture made beginning in September 2023 had to meet a stricter stability standard. - Heavier items should be stored low to keep taller furniture from becoming top-heavy. - Toys or treats should not be placed on top of furniture where children can see them but cannot reach them. - Furniture with shelves, doors or drawers should be anchored to the wall, whether new or old. - Many manufacturers include free anchors, and consumers can also buy anchors. - More guidance is available at AnchorIt.gov. - Flat-screen TVs are safest when wall-mounted according to manufacturer instructions. - If a TV cannot be wall-mounted, it should sit on a low, sturdy cabinet and be secured to the wall or furniture with a TV anchor. - TVs should never be placed on furniture that is not built to hold electronics. - CertiPUR-US certifies the polyurethane foam used in mattresses and upholstered furniture. - CertiPUR-US certified foam has been screened for chemicals that can harm human health or contribute to poor indoor air quality. - Consumers shopping for mattresses, pillows, sofas, upholstered chairs and recliners, youth furniture, play cushions or pet beds can check the CertiPUR-US directory at CertiPUR.US. - Consumers can also use the CertiPUR-US mobile app while shopping. - Children should not play on recliners or use the buttons or remotes. - Recliners should be returned to the upright and closed position when not in use. - Small children and pets should be accounted for before closing a recliner or lowering a lift chair. - Children under 6 should never use the top bunk. - Older children should be reminded not to jump from or play on the top bunk. - Horseplay around bunk beds should be discouraged, and the ladder or stair should be securely fastened. - Bunk beds must have railings on both sides of the top bunk that extend 5 inches or more above the mattress. - Decorative finials or extensions of bed posts on the top bunk are not allowed under safety standards because they can be a strangulation hazard. - Children should not play on or around glass-top tables, and they should never stand on them. - Glass tabletops should be made of tempered glass because tempered glass is less likely to break. - Consumers can check the edge or a corner to see whether a glass tabletop is tempered. - Many manufacturers mark tempered glass with the word “tempered” or a “T” or with the code ASTM F2813-18. - More information is available at SaferHome.Info.

Between the lines: - The campaign mixes recall checks, anchoring advice and product-selection tips because many household injuries happen from everyday furniture that seems harmless. - The emphasis on tip-over prevention suggests that stability, not just design, is a central safety issue for families with young children. - The foam certification guidance shows the campaign is also pointing consumers toward product materials that may affect indoor air quality, not only crash or tip hazards.

What's next: - Consumers are being urged to review furniture already in the home, check recall status, and install anchors or wall mounts where needed. - Families shopping during the awareness week can use the highlighted safety resources before buying dressers, TVs, recliners, bunk beds or glass tabletops. - Furniture Safety Week is likely to continue building visibility around preventable home hazards as the awareness campaign grows.