How can I protect children from furniture tip over risks in my home?

When someone suffers an injury in your home, it is upsetting, but it is even more so when the injured party is a child. One of the biggest dangers to children in a home setting is the risk of heavy furniture tipping over on top of them. 

According to Nationwide, falling furniture can put toddlers at risk for crushing injuries, head trauma and other serious injuries due to the size and weight of these items. 

Take away the curiosity

Toddlers are very curious and want to explore everything around them. To make furniture less inviting, you should remove anything that might encourage a toddler to climb or pull on furniture items. For example, hide cords, store items out of sight and keep locks on cabinets. 

Make it secure

You also want to make furniture as secure as possible. You can secure large furniture pieces to the wall using brackets. Also, make sure to store heavy items on the bottom of tall shelves and lighter items on the top. 

For appliances, you can also use brackets to keep them from tipping. Also, do not hang anything from handles, such as a towel on the oven handle, as this encourages a toddler to pull on it and gives the child an easy way to open the door and put the oven off balance. 

Do not forget about the television. Make sure that you use a stand that is the proper size and strength for your unit. If you mount it on the wall, make sure cords are out of sight and not accessible. Also, ensure you use the correct brackets and straps to secure it.