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.
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”
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.
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.
“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.”
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]
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:
The next time you go furniture shopping, think of little Blake and have safety front of mind.
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.
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.
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