Don’t Let Your Toddlers Get Toppled

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on average, a child dies every two weeks from unsecured televisions and large pieces of furniture. Children younger than 10 accounted for 84 percent of the 430 deaths reported to CPSC from 2000 to 2013. In response to this, the CPSC has developed a national campaign called “Anchor It!” to educate the public about this danger and help prevent injuries and deaths.

There are numerous potential hazards to children within a daycare or nursery, and one of the most commonly overlooked is protecting TV’s and furniture from tipping over and falling onto them. Small children are no match for a falling dresser, bookcase or television weighing upwards of 100 pounds.

Take this recent claim for example: A four year old child was trying to reach a ball that was located on the top shelf of the church’s game room. He became frustrated that he couldn’t reach it, so he climbed up the heavy cabinet that was not secured to the wall, and it fell on top of him. The child was unconscious and bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears and suffered a fractured skull. To prevent accidents such as these from tip-over related incidents, the following safety precautions should be followed:

Any dresser, shelves, bookcase, or similar equipment should be installed with appropriate hardware, such as brackets or screws, to anchor them to the wall or floor to prevent them from accidentally tipping over.
Any lower drawers of dressers, file cabinets, or similar furniture should be equipped with appropriate latches to keep children from being able to open them and climb up.
Televisions and audio visual equipment should be placed on sturdy, low bases and pushed as far back as possible on the furniture or cart. These should be properly secured with straps or mounting brackets.
Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might attract children off television stands or furniture.
Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children.
Supervise children, and do not allow them to play or climb on any cart, bookcase, etc., even if properly secured against tipping over.

Children are some of the most precious members of a church’s congregation and should be well protected when in the daycare or nursery. By following these recommended safeguards, your church will be better equipped to prevent injury or possible death from a tip-over incident.

For further information on the “Anchor It” campaign and tip-over prevention from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, visit the Anchor It! website. If you are interested in additional resources on daycare and nursery safety, please visit SafeChurch.

Don’t Let Your Toddlers Get Toppled

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