New safety standards approved to prevent furniture tip-over accidents
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Your next piece of new furniture might look a tiny bit different.
That's because the Consumer Product Safety Commission approved new federal standards for items that can tip over. Nearly 200 children have been killed over the last two decades by dressers and other furniture pieces that fell and 5,300 kids are injured each year.
The new standards include minimum stability requirements along with detailed labels for buyers.
"What this new federal safety standard does is it applies to clothing storage units going forward. But we know that people have older furniture in their homes. It's still so important to make sure that older furniture is anchored to the wall. That is really the safest way to keep that from falling on your child," said CPSC spokesperson Patty Davis.
The new requirements apply to clothing storage units that are 27 inches and higher. You should also anchor dressers and wardrobes to the wall to prevent them from tipping over.
