(BPT) - When buying furniture, consumers look for style and comfort, but it's important to consider safety, too. Here are tips to help:
Be aware that popular fabric dressers pose a tip-over risk. These are the types of dressers with a metal frame and fabric drawers. By law, all clothing storage furniture must be engineered so it won't fall over if kids climb on it or if you open all the drawers at once. Fabric dressers usually are not made to meet this standard, and if they tip over, they can crush small children — or your own feet.
Check SaferProducts.gov to see if your fabric dresser has been recalled. You can follow the instructions for a full refund or report one that has not been recalled.
Check dates/secure furniture. Check the manufacture date on the back of furniture used to store clothing, including dressers or chests. Beginning in September 2023, those pieces had to meet a strict new stability standard.
Store heavier items down low so taller pieces are not top-heavy. Don't put toys or treats on top of furniture where kids can see but not reach them. New or old, if it has shelves, doors or drawers, anchor it to the wall. Manufacturers include free anchors, or you can buy anchors. See www.AnchorIt.gov for advice.
Wall-mount or secure TVs on a sturdy base. For flat-screen TVs, the safest strategy is wall-mounting according to manufacturer instructions.
If you cannot wall-mount your TV, choose a low, sturdy cabinet and secure the TV to the wall or to the furniture with a TV anchor. Never place TVs on furniture not built to hold electronics.
Buy upholstered furniture made with certified foam. CertiPUR-US® has certified the polyurethane foam used in mattresses for more than 17 years and also certifies the foam used in upholstered furniture.
If you choose upholstered furniture made with CertiPUR-US certified foam you will know the foam has been screened for chemicals that can harm human health or contribute to poor indoor air quality.
If shopping for mattresses, pillows, sofas, upholstered chairs and recliners, youth furniture and play cushions or pet beds, check their directory at CertiPUR.US. Better yet, consult the CertiPUR-US mobile app while shopping.
Monitor your children around recliners and lift chairs. Don't let kids play on recliners or fiddle with the buttons or remotes. Return recliners to the upright and closed position when not in use. Know the whereabouts of small children and pets before closing a recliner or lowering a lift chair.
Follow bunk bed safety precautions. Children under 6 should never use the top bunk. Even older kids should be reminded not to jump from or play on the top bunk. Discourage horse play and make sure the bunk's ladder or stair is securely fastened.
Bunk beds must have railings on both sides of the top bunk that extend 5 inches or more above the mattress. Decorative finials or extensions of bed posts on the top bunk are not allowed under safety standards, because they can be a strangulation hazard.
Be aware of glass tabletop risks. Don't let children play on or around glass-top tables and never, ever stand on a glass-top table.
Make sure glass tabletops in your home are made from tempered glass, which is less likely to break. To find out if a glass tabletop in your home is tempered, check the edge or a corner. Most manufacturers mark tempered glass with the word "tempered" or a "T" or stamp it with the code for the glass safety standard, which is ASTM F2813-18.
Find more information at SaferHome.Info.
