Furniture and TV Tip-Over Dangers On The Rise

The Shoff family thought they'd done everything right as parents. They childproofed their house to make sure their 2-year old twins would be safe. 

What they didn't do was make sure they had secured their furniture so it wouldn't tip over on their little boys. A home surveillance video shows Bowdy working for almost two minutes to free Brock Shoff in their home in Orem, Utah. 

The video has made the rounds nationally because the twins' parents want people to know it could happen to anyone.

"We were hesitant to post this video initially, Ricky Shoff, the twins' father told CNN, "but a lot of parents have probably made the same mistake that we made, (they) don't have their furniture secure or bolted to a wall."

Sharon Evans, RN, BSN, CPN trauma/injury prevention coordinator at Cook Children’s, hopes this serves as a reminder of the dangers of TV and furniture tip-overs, especially during this time of year.

"People are getting furniture for the holidays and TVs for the Super Bowl," Evans said. "If those aren't anchored, we have seen injuries and even death at Cook Children's due to these items being unanchored. Parents often times get the new TVs or furniture and then put the old ones in the bedrooms for the kids. Every piece of furniture in the house should be secured. 

Since 2009, Cook Children's has seen 137 furniture-related injuries. One child even died in 2014 as a result of furniture tip-over.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission says a child dies every two weeks in the United States from a TV, a piece of furniture, or a combination of the two tipping over in this country. And, a child is admitted to the emergency room every 24 minutes because of a tip-over.

“In the last decade, the number of children seen at our facility for injuries from dressers and television falls has steadily increased,” Evans said. “All the families that bring in children with these injuries say the same thing: ‘I didn’t think this would ever happen.’ Sadly, it does happen, and people need to be aware so they can prevent it.”

The Consumer Product Safety Comission provides these safety tips in any home where children live or visit:

Anchor furniture to the wall or the floor. 

1. Place TVs on sturdy, low bases. 
2. Anchor the furniture and the TV on top of it, and push the TV as far back on top of the furniture as possible.
3. Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might be attractive to children off TV stands or furniture. 
4. Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children. 
5. Make sure freestanding kitchen ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets. 
6. Supervise children in rooms where these safety tips have not been followed.

Learn more about the Anchor It! campaign to secure furniture and TVs here.