Monday, January 18, 2016

By John Voket According to the Consumer Electronics Association, flat screen TVs were the hot ticket item once again this holiday season. But how many folks took the extra step to ensure their new TV is properly anchored?

We recently had a chance to visit with Commissioner Marietta Robinson of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) who said it’s critical parents and caregivers remember to anchor their new and old TVs to keep children safe.

Children like to climb on furniture. And during the winter months when time outside is more restricted, children are spending even more time inside.  

“When parents put knives out of reach and childproof cabinet doors, they should also think about anchoring their furniture and televisions," Commissioner Robinson says. The CPSC's Anchor It! campaign is a call to action to ensure parents and caregivers learn about these dangers in the home and take simple, low-cost steps to prevent these tragedies.

"Every 24 minutes, a child in the U.S. is injured from a TV or furniture tip-over incident, and every two weeks, a child dies when a television, a piece of furniture or an appliance falls on him," Commissioner Robinson says.

When a television falls from an average sized dresser, it can fall with the force of thousands of pounds. Specifically, falling CRT TVs can hit a child with the impact of up to 12,700 pounds of force, and for flat screen TVs, the impact is up to 2,098 pounds of force.

The Solution- according to the Anchor It campaign:

• Avoid displaying or storing items in places where kids might be tempted to climb up to reach for them.
• If purchasing a new TV, consider recycling older ones not currently used. If moving the older TV to another room, be sure it is anchored properly.
• Keep heavier items on lower shelves or in lower drawers.
• Always buy and install low-cost anchoring devices that can prevent TVs, dressers, bookcases and other furniture/appliances from tipping.
• TVs should always be placed on a sturdy, low base and pushed as far back as possible, particularly if anchoring is not possible.

For more information, visit anchorit.gov.

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