Toppling TVs Pose A Huge Safety Risk
19,200 TV-related injuries from 2008 to 2010 in U.S. alone
There may be a hazard in your living room, rec room, maybe the bedroom – your big screen TV. A Toronto study has found tens of thousands of children around the world have been injured, some seriously, by falling TVs. Study authors say TVs are often placed on unstable bases or up high on furniture. Toddlers have been hurt after climbing up on furniture holding the TV and having it topple onto them; older children were injured after running into furniture while playing and having the set fall on them. Some of the children were left with short-and long-term symptoms, from neurological deficits causing severe disability to hearing loss and facial paralysis. A two year old, treated at Sick Children’s Hospital, died after a falling TV fractured the child’s skull. Some Safety tips:
- Avoid placing toys or remotes on top of the TV.
- Create a restricted play area around the television.
- Use a proper TV stand or console; don’t place it on top of a high piece of furniture.
- Position the TV back from the edge of where it’s placed.
- Attach the TV to the wall to prevent it from falling.
