Televisions are a major cause of tipping-related injuries and fatalities, in addition to accidents involving just furniture (see Part 1). In fact, both TVs and furniture are involved in a startling 70% of tipping events. Let’s examine the significance of this issue and what you may do to address it.
How Serious Are TV-Related Tipping Accidents?
Furniture and TVs are significantly more common in fatal tip-over incidents than just furniture alone: 70% versus 26%. The fact that injuries from TV-related tipping have been increasingly common in recent years may be even more alarming. Although the majority of instances involve TVs with screens smaller than 26 inches, we might want to blame the rise in these accidents on people buying bigger TVs. Though it’s possible that the injuries aren’t directly related to the bigger TVs, because when a family buys a bigger TV, they frequently relocate the older, smaller TV to a bedroom or other area where it’s unsteadily mounted on a dresser or other piece of furniture that wasn’t made to support a television safely.
Who Is Particularly Prone to Injuries Related to TVs?
Since children can take out drawers to use as ladders to climb them in order to reach the TV, dressers with TVs on top of them are particularly important offenders, accounting for 46% of injuries. 64% of injuries occurred in children under the age of 5, and 61% of the injured were male. Head and neck injuries are particularly serious, because they account for 63% of all injuries. (Soft-tissue injuries and abrasions are practically tied for second place, at 37% and 35%, respectively.)
Why Do TVs Cause Such Issues?
Problems can arise with both CRT and flat-screen televisions. Naturally, older CRT TVs are extremely heavy. They should be attached to the TV stand or a nearby wall and should only be placed on furniture made specifically to accommodate such TVs. Flat-screen televisions can be securely fastened to the wall or set up as far back as possible on the right furniture and secured to the wall. TVs should only be placed on furniture that is intended to hold them, because doing otherwise could cause that piece’s center of gravity to change, which could lead to an unstable situation.
You may simply and affordably prevent issues brought on by TV-related tipping occurrences, just like you can with furniture items without TVs perched on top. Along with the measures already mentioned, there are many other reasons to just throw away your old TV when you acquire a new one. Also, keep TVs and other devices out of your kids’ bedrooms, because mental health is a major problem and excessive TV & screen usage is accompanied by problems of its own. But that is a topic for another post.
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