Furniture Tipover Causes 10,000 Injuries And Deaths A Year

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that “8,000 to 10,000 victims are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with the tipover of furniture. CPSC also receives reports of about 6 deaths each year. The majority of these injuries and deaths are to children.”

There are voluntary standards that apply to the children’s furniture manufacturing industry for testing and warnings regarding tipover potential. The most prominent organization which has addressed this serious hazard is ASTM International.

I can say that the voluntary standard is getting closer to becoming a truly meaningful one. However, its provisions do not have the effect or impact of a state or federal statute that would mandate specific tipover protections for children’s furniture.

I fully support the efforts for legislation expressed by the Mikey Furniture Safety Foundation.

“On Monday night at 8:30, March 25, 2002, two and a half year old Michael Jermaine Pooler II (Mikey) was getting potty trained. He went into his bedroom to grab a pull up out of his bottom drawer and happened to step inside his bottom dresser drawer. The dresser and TV toppled on top of Mikey causing craniocerebral blunt force trauma, crushing of his skull and hours later his death. Mikey’s case is not an isolated one. Over 10,000 children are injured or killed yearly due to furniture accidents.”

This is the story behind The Mikey Furniture Safety Foundation.

Mikey’s mother has turned her personal tragedy into a mission: “There are currently NO laws that mandate furniture safety for children. It is my hope that Mikey’s Law will mandate that children’s furniture weight should hold up to 30 pounds without toppling. The Law will also mandate that furniture can only be sold with parental warnings and safety features for bolting furniture to the wall.”

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that “8,000 to 10,000 victims are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with the tipover of furniture. CPSC also receives reports of about 6 deaths each year. The majority of these injuries and deaths are to children.”

“These injuries and deaths frequently occur when children climb onto, fall against, or pull themselves up on such items as shelves, bookcases, dressers, bureaus, desks, chests, and television stands. In some cases, televisions on furniture tip over. Children often climb up the open drawers of furniture.

Place TVs on lower furniture, as far back as possible. Use angle-braces or anchors to secure furniture to the wall.”

There are voluntary standards that apply to the children’s furniture manufacturing industry for testing and warnings regarding tipover potential. The most prominent organization which has addressed this serious hazard is ASTM International.

ASTM F2057-04 Standard Safety Specification for Chests, Door Chests, and Dressers states that it “is intended to reduce injuries and deaths of children from hazards associated with tipover of clothing storage units.” Because of copyright laws the standard cannot be reproduced here and is not available free from ASTM.

I have obtained the entire history of the standard and its multiple amendments and modifications while working on these issues on behalf of tipover victims. I can say that the voluntary standard is getting closer to becoming a truly meaningful one. However, its provisions do not have the effect or impact of a state or federal statute that would mandate specific tipover protections for children’s furniture.

I fully support the efforts for legislation expressed by the Mikey Furniture Safety Foundation.