November 17, 2020 | CPSC

Holiday Shopping Discounts Are Everywhere: Add TV and Furniture Safety to Your Shopping List

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Whether you’re shopping online or in stores for big-ticket items like TVs and furniture, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advises consumers that every day is a good day this holiday season to shop with safety in mind. Experts say companies are betting on consumers to purchase items that will make home life more enjoyable during the COVID-19 pandemic. With TVs and furniture high on gift-shopping lists, CPSC’s Anchor It! campaign urges consumers to purchase and install an anti-tip (anchor) device, if one is not included with the product. Tip-overs cause deaths and injuries to young children, and they occur more frequently than people may think.

Each year, an average of 12,500 children are treated for tip-over injuries in emergency rooms; CPSC is aware of 6 children who died in 2018. CPSC’s video, “Even When You’re Watching,” contains real footage of tip-overs, illustrating how quickly a tragedy can occur, even when parents are nearby while children are playing or watching TV.

A number of major furniture manufacturers and retailers include anchoring restraints with their products, and promote anchoring safety in instructional materials and on their websites. CPSC urges all furniture and TV manufacturers and retailers to make tip-over safety a prominent element of their product marketing, given the danger posed to children.

Follow these safety tips for any home where children live or visit:

• Anchor TVs and furniture, such as bookcases and dressers, securely to the wall.
• Place TVs on a sturdy, low base, and push the TV back as far as possible, particularly if anchoring is not possible.
• Avoid displaying or storing items, such as toys and remotes, in places where kids might be tempted to climb up to reach for them.
• If purchasing a new TV, consider recycling older ones not currently in use.
• Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children.
• Even in rooms with TVs and furniture anchored, close adult supervision is still recommended.

For more information on anchoring TVs and furniture, please visit www.anchorit.gov.

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

For lifesaving information:
– Visit CPSC.gov.
– Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
– Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
– Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
– Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
– Contact a media specialist.