{"id":9059,"date":"2021-08-11T10:30:59","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T00:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/?p=9059"},"modified":"2021-08-11T10:30:59","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T00:30:59","slug":"the-tipping-point-how-to-safeguard-your-home-from-falling-furniture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/the-tipping-point-how-to-safeguard-your-home-from-falling-furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"The tipping point: how to safeguard your home from falling furniture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words:<\/strong> Natasha May, The Guardian<\/p>\n

Toppling furniture has killed 27 Australians since 2000. Of these fatalities, 20 were children aged under seven.<\/p>\n

Every Australian wants their home to be a safe and enjoyable place says Dr Warwick Teague. Yet every month, as Director of the Trauma Service at The Royal Children\u2019s hospital in Melbourne, he sees a child admitted as a result of toppling furniture in the home.<\/p>\n

All age groups are at risk of injury from the weight of furniture and televisions striking them, but it\u2019s particularly acute for children under five years of age. Teague explains that being small in stature, they can be overwhelmed by the furniture, which can injure them from head to toe.<\/p>\n

Australian Consumer Law does not provide any mandatory safety or information standards to specifically prevent the risk of injury from furniture and televisions tipping over. However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is currently scoping potential regulatory options. The consumer watchdog made toppling furniture and televisions one its product safety priorities for 2021 and this past week has released an issues paper on the matter.<\/a><\/p>\n

The paper has identified three key safety factors that can influence the likelihood of furniture toppling over: the product design, the anchoring of furniture and consumer behaviour. Delia Rickard, the deputy chair of the ACCC, says these issues need to be considered together. \u201cThere\u2019s no one silver bullet to fix this, we need to look at design, we need to make it easier to anchor furniture and raise awareness about the type of conduct that can lead to accidents.\u201d<\/p>\n

While formalised regulations are yet to be enacted, Guardian Australia has talked to the experts about safety measures that can be made right now.<\/p>\n

Think about product design<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ACCC issues report says furniture is more stable when designed to be shorter, wider, deeper and bottom-heavy: the furniture you get handed down from your grandmother might be this sturdy kind. \u201cModern lightweight flatpack furniture, like Ikea bookshelves and cabinets, are a lot lighter, and don\u2019t necessarily have a heavy base, so unless you tether it, there\u2019s a chance it can fall,\u201d Rickard says.<\/p>\n

The same goes for televisions. As TVs are increasingly designed to be thinner and larger, the ACCC report says the stability provided by the base becomes more important if it\u2019s not mounted to a wall.<\/p>\n

In the past two years, at least nine products have been recalled for their toppling risk. The full list is available on the Product Safety website.<\/a><\/p>\n

Anchor when possible<\/strong><\/p>\n

Furniture and television anchoring kits attach an item, either bolting or strapping it to the wall or any other secure surface. The ACCC issues report says furniture should ideally be designed to be stable while freestanding, but anchoring can help prevent the furniture falling if it does start to tip over.<\/p>\n

Try look for furniture that comes with anchoring kits or straps to save yourself having to make a separate trip to the hardware store. Christine Erskine, executive officer at Kidsafe NSW says many people aren\u2019t aware televisions and furniture come with a strap and throw it out, but advises \u201cif there is a strap use it\u201d.<\/p>\n

Rickard suggests \u201cthe stud, the bit of wood behind the wall, is the safest place to anchor as it\u2019s the sturdiest\u201d. She says you find it by \u201cknocking along the wood with your knuckles until you find a slightly different, less hollow sound\u201d.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling with the anchoring equipment, Rickard suggests you can turn to YouTube for instructional videos or else outsource the task to a professional handyman. You can also find further practical guidance online, for instance Ikea has developed a guide to anchoring their furniture.<\/a><\/p>\n

Anchoring for renters<\/strong>
\nA survey from consumer advocacy group Choice found that many renters don\u2019t have furniture secured in their homes because their landlord hasn\u2019t allowed it, and Erin Turner, director of campaigns at Choice, says many tenants are afraid to request it.<\/p>\n

But laws are changing to help renters anchor furniture. The death of a Perth toddler who was crushed by a chest of drawers after the family\u2019s landlord had refused to let them anchor the item resulted in Western Australia passing new laws in 2019. Changes to tenancy laws in New South Wales<\/a> and Victoria<\/a> have similarly allowed renters to secure furniture for safety reasons.<\/p>\n

Erskine highlights that each state and territory\u2019s fair trading departments will have their own regulations regarding tenants\u2019 rights, which include safety in the home. She says you have to ask permission to attach or screw something into the wall, but that landlords are required to make sure you have a safe place to live.<\/p>\n

Teague says anchoring furniture can be done in a way that won\u2019t ruin the wall, but at the end of the day \u201cno wall is more important than the child\u201d.<\/p>\n

Think about furniture placement
\n<\/strong>
\nThe ACCC issues report also highlights that your own choices when it comes to placement and use can help prevent accidents.<\/p>\n