3Shane Siefert was only two years old when he died after the dresser in his bedroom fell on him. In response, his mother Lisa started Shane’s Foundation; an organization devoted to spreading awareness about the dangers of furniture and TV tip-overs. This issue is now receiving a lot of attention from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) through their #AnchorIt campaign. The national campaign and the foundation both stress the importance of anchoring and securing furniture and note that this easy and low-cost task can save your child’s life.

According to the CPSC, every 24 minutes, a child goes to the hospital and one child dies every two weeks a result of one of these accidents. A 2015 CSPC report described the force of a TV tipping over on a child as “being caught between two NFL linemen colliding at full-speed—10 times” And it’s not just TVs that are dangerous. Here is a short video from the CPSC illustrating what happens when the center of gravity is shifted on furniture due to a child climbing onto it.

To prevent tip over injuries in your own home, the CPSC recommends the following safety measures:

  • Anchor furniture to the wall or the floor
  • Place TVs on sturdy, low bases, or anchor the furniture and the TV on top the base, and push the TV as far back on the furniture as possible
  • Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might attract children off of TV stands or furniture
  • Keep TVs and/or cable cords out of reach of children

KID is proud to serve as official partner with the CPSC on the #AnchorIt! campaign. We plan to share information and resources on the campaign on an ongoing basis. We are also working on ways to make furniture less prone to tipping in cases where it is not anchored – but that goal is a longer ways off.  We encourage parents and caregivers to follow these guidelines to make your household safer and raise awareness by telling their friends and family about the risks of unsecured furniture and TV’s. Here is a one-page flyer you can share with parents and caregivers. Keep connected to safety news and recalls for children via KID on social media– Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and sign up for our newsletter and email alert on our website