Televisions, bookcases, wardrobes, and chests of drawers are items found in the majority of homes. While they may seem harmless, they can pose a serious safety risk if not secured.
Every week up to 50 Australian’s are treated in hospital due to injuries sustained from toppling furniture or televisions. That’s 2,600 people. Every. Single. Year.
Since 2001, at least 22 children under the age of nine have died in Australia from a preventable injury involving furniture or televisions tipping on top of them.
This month, we spoke with Tim and Kirstie who know just how quickly and easily a furniture tip over incident can occur.
BLAKE WOULD BE EIGHT YEARS OLD THIS MAY
Tim and Kirstie’s three-year-old son, Blake, was killed when a large wooden cabinet fell on him whilst he was playing nearby.
This month, Blake would have been eight years old.
He would’ve had a birthday party with his older brothers and sister – Eli, Alex and Evie – family and friends from school.
He would’ve had lots of presents and toys to play with, lots of cake to eat, and Tim and Kirstie’s home would’ve been filled with laughter.
Instead, Kirstie and Tim are living every parent’s worst nightmare.
“Every morning you wake up, thinking and hoping it’s just a bad dream, a terrible nightmare and then you realise that it’s not. I look over in my bed and my Blakey isn’t there, he’s gone. Forever,” said Kirstie.
“I find the weeks and days leading up to birthdays, Christmas and the anniversary of his death harder than the actual day. The dread I feel in those days is overwhelming”
“WE HEARD A YELL FOR HELP, THEN – CRASH, BANG”
Blake’s dad, Tim, retells the scene when they found Blake.
“We heard our friend yell for help, then – crash, bang. We got to Blake, got the cabinet up and he was curled up in the bottom corner. He was gone by then,” he said.
Kirstie, a neonatal nurse, immediately attempted to revive her youngest son, however he had sustained severe head injuries when he was knocked to the tiled floor. He was already gone by the time the ambulance arrived.
“WE HAD NO IDEA SUCH A LARGE CABINET COULD JUST FALL OVER”
Tim and Kirstie recount that Blake was sitting well away from the freestanding unit when it just toppled over.
Blake was not touching or climbing on the cabinet. And yet it just fell onto him.
It was pushed up flat against the wall, however it had not been secured with brackets or an anchor. It is believed that unstable floor foundations may have contributed to uneven floor levels, which caused the cabinet to fall.
BLAKE’S FAMILY NOW HAS A HUGE PIECE MISSING
“Now it’s like we are going through life with a piece missing. A big piece. A huge hole of sadness, despair, regret, self blame, darkness, a void that can never be filled,” said Kirstie.
“Seeing the effects of Blake’s death on his brothers Eli and Alex is just soul crushing. How I wish I could take the pain and heartache away for them.”
FREESTANDING FURNITURE FALLING IS JUST ONE OF THE RISKS FOR CHILDREN
A large majority of TV and furniture tip over injuries occur in children under 5 years of age. Their curiosity and lack of awareness of danger places them at increased risk.
Furniture can look very different and interesting from a toddler’s perspective – for example, they may see bookcases and shelves as a ladder, or a chest of drawers as some steps.
Excluding incidents when freestanding furniture falls, a child can grab hold of furniture or attempt to climb on it to reach something up high, which can result in the item accidentally tipping over on top of them. That is why it is important to secure furniture even if it looks sturdy or is heavy.
[Click Image to watch 7 News Sydney on danger of Furniture Falls]
HOW YOU CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF TV AND FURNITURE TIP OVERS
Three-year-old Blake’s death provides a tragic reminder to all parents and carers about the dangers that TVs and furniture can pose and the importance of putting strategies in place to help keep children safe.
There are some simple steps that we can all take when purchasing, setting up and using furniture to help reduce the risk of tip over incidents, including:
BUY SAFE
The next time you go furniture shopping, think of little Blake and have safety front of mind.
- Purchase furniture with broad and stable bases or low-set furniture.
- Test furniture in store to make sure it is stable.
- Look for furniture that comes with safety information or equipment for anchoring it to the walls or floor.
USE SAFE
Whether you have some new furniture that you have just set up or some furniture that you have had for years, it’s important to take a look around your home for items that could pose potential toppling hazards and take these actions today to help protect your child.
- Secure any furniture such as bookcases and chest of draws to the wall or floor with brackets. It might seem like a hassle or damaging your wall, but no wall is more precious than the life of a child.
- Do not leave any items such as bottles, toys or remote controls on top of furniture that may tempt young children to climb up to reach them.
- Only place a TV on a piece of furniture that is designed to hold its size and weight.
- Strap TV’s to the stand or secure them to a wall.
- Put locking devices on drawers to prevent children opening them and using them as steps.
- Discourage children from climbing on furniture.
For more information about safety precautions to take when purchasing or installing furniture or TVs in your home, you can visit: Kidsafe Victoria TV and furniture tipovers
Thank you Kirstie and Tim for bravely sharing your story to help warn other parents of the dangers of furniture tip overs.
Our thoughts are with you and your family as we remember Blake this May on his eighth birthday.
