No tipping

Injuries and fatalities caused by tipping furniture happen a lot more than you probably know. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), about 17,800 injuries are caused annually by falling furniture, nearly half involving children under 18. 

Further, the CPSC notes that there were 217 tipping-related deaths from 2013-2023. More than 70 percent of those were children.
  

There have been mandatory federal standards for furniture manufacturers in place since 2023, requiring companies to address potential tipping. That effort has been successful, with a number of unsafe furniture products being recalled. This is great progress, but there’s still a problem. 

The standards only address “clothing storage furniture.” That simply doesn’t cover everything — bookcases, display units, entertainment centers, and dozens of other types of tall furniture aren’t covered… and neither are TVs and other appliances. 

To address this, the CPSC created the educational “Anchor It! Campaign” in 2015, and they’re now observing the effort’s 10-year anniversary. The campaign goes beyond addressing clothing storage, providing recommendations for all types of tall furniture through a series of published guides and public service announcements. While much of the program is aimed at parents and caregivers, it also encourages furniture makers to include anti-tipping protection. You’re seeing this more and more from large companies — my LG television came with an anti-tipping strap, as did a narrow laundry cabinet we bought last year. 

Further, consumers can get anti-tipping kits just about anywhere inexpensively, maybe $10-$20. But many small shops and makers aren’t aware of the Anchor It! Program or, sadly, the statistics involving tipping accidents. Hopefully, I’ve been able to spread awareness a little bit here, and I encourage any makers reading this to include anti-tipping with any tall pieces you sell. 

Sure, it’ll add a bit more in materials, but at a measly ten bucks it’d probably be a fraction of what the cost of the finished piece would be. You can pass this along with other materials in the final price, or just accept it as a simple part of doing good business. It’s easy to put a price on your work, but you can’t really put a price on saving a child’s life.