Prevent Furniture, Appliance Tip-Over Accidents

This post is sponsored by Charlie’s House. Take a virtual tour of their safety home or schedule an in-person tour at their Kansas City location to learn more about making your home a safe place.

It’s easy to think it won’t happen to your family.

But, every 10 days a child dies from an appliance, television or furniture tip-over accident.

In the case of Kansas City toddler Charlie Horn, it took his life.

child's feet climbing dresserOn November 1, 2007, Charlie Horn, a 2-year-old Kansas City boy, was killed when he attempted to climb a 30″ dresser in his home. It was through this tragedy that Charlie’s House. was born. Brett and Jenny Horn, Charlie’s parents, turned their tragedy into a mission. The Horns began a movement to reduce in-home accidents through increased public awareness and education.

Tips for Preventing Furniture and Appliance Tip-Over Accidents

two men mounting flat screen TV on wall

Mount flat-panel TVs to the wall to prevent them from falling off stands. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that you have a secure fit.

Use brackets, braces or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall. All furniture, no matter what size, including bookshelves, entertainment centers, bookshelves and short bedside dressers should be secure with wall straps as well.

Install drawer stops on all drawers to prevent them from being pulled out more than two-thirds of the way.

Ensure the manufacturer’s anti-tip device is installed on your oven.

Tour the Safety Demonstration House

Injury is the leading cause of death in children and young adults. According to the CDC, approximately 12,000 children and young adults, ages 1 to 19 years, die from unintentional injuries each year. There are simple steps you can take to ensure your home is safe for the children living there, but being able to anticipate trouble spots can be hard. That’s where Charlie’s House comes in.

Schedule your visit to the safety demonstration house in downtown Kansas City online here. The Safety Demonstration Home features a room-by-room tour highlighting safety risks in a nursery, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, staircase, living room, laundry area and garage.

This tour is great for parents, grandparents, babysitters and anyone caring for a child in their home. They also provide tours to medical professionals, community organizations and emergency personnel.

You can also visit the house virtually.

Sarah McGinnity
Sarah grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (Go Cats!), she moved to Minnesota where she met her husband, Shea. Realizing how much she hated snow in May, she convinced him to move to Kansas City in 2010. Together they have lived in Midtown, Waldo, the Plaza, and now Overland Park. Sarah is mom to 10-year-old, Henry, 7-year-old Clark and 5-year-old Lucy. She has her master’s in urban administration and is passionate about making Kansas City a more equitable and supportive community. In between the crazy, she likes to drink coffee, run, hike, travel as much as possible, and experience all things Kansas City!