TIP: Securing Furniture and Appliances Properly

Every 17 minutes, a piece of furniture, TV or appliance tipping over causes an injury in the U.S., according to information provided to Consumer Reports (CR) by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A total of 195 deaths caused by tip-overs were reported between 2000-2016.

The outlet’s most disturbing findings however, relate to tip-overs and children: a child is killed by a falling piece of furniture in the U.S. every two weeks. In 2016, 2,800 incidents of injuries to children were reported — a 33% increase from 2015.

eHow.com has released a video that offers step-by-step instructions on the correct way to anchor a dresser to the wall. This simple precaution can prevent the threat of dangerous, even fatal, accidents, even if you’ve already thrown out the anchoring kit that comes with most furniture.

To start, use a stud finder to locate the studs in your wall. If you have the anchoring kit that came with your furniture, remove the dresser’s back panel and attach to the wall using the provided hardware.

If you tossed the parts, an angle bracket can still do the trick. Use screws to attach the bracket to the dresser, cut the backing to fit around the bracket if necessary and then use a drill to secure the piece to the wall, either into a stud or using wall anchors.

Although it may seem like a daunting task, this little step can go a long way in minimizing risk in your home.