Be cautious

Around the world, unstable or inadequately secured furniture is the cause of accidents involving children, some of which can be fatal. In most cases, these accidents involve children aged 1 to 3 who find themselves trapped under the furniture, unable to breathe, or who are hit by the item as it falls, or an object that has been placed on the furniture. Falling television are a common cause of accidents.

These tragic accidents can easily be avoided with a few simple safety measures.

Children can be unpredictable, so parents need to be careful.

Choose safety when purchasing your furniture

When purchasing furniture, pay attention to the following:

  • Preferably buy low furniture items or furniture with a robust, stable and wide base.
  • Choose furniture that comes with safety information or wall-mount equipment.
  • Test the furniture in the store to ensure it is stable. For instance, open the top drawer of a chest of drawers and exercise a little pressure on it to test the item's stability. Do the same with the lower drawer and push it with your foot, as if a child were climbing on it.
  • Make sure that the drawers do not fall out of the unit too easily.

Safety tips for the house

To avoid children suffering injuries due to furniture, respect the following recommendations:

  1. Check all furniture in your home.
  2. Fix all furniture to the walls and floors.
  3. Do not place heavy objects on top of shelves or bookcases.
  4. Place your television at the back of the unit or fix it to the wall. There are systems specially designed for this purpose. Make sure that your child cannot pull on the electricity cable.
  5. Prevent children from climbing on furniture.
  6. Do not place objects on top of furniture that are attractive to children, such as toys as this could encourage them to climb up to grab them.
  7. Do not place unstable furniture near areas where children play.
  8. Install locking systems on all drawers to prevent children from opening them and using them as steps.

Download awareness sheet (PDF, 1.05 MB).

Last update
3 November 2021

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