Since 2001 at least 22 children under the age of 9 have died in Australia from toppling furniture or televisions, with children under 3 years of age at greatest risk.
As we focus on National Kidsafe Day, Kidsafe Australia is calling for urgent changes to rental tenancy laws around the country to enable the securing of televisions and other heavy items to walls and floors, in a bid to prevent serious tip over injuries and deaths.
Kidsafe Australia takes the opportunity to remind parents, grandparents & carers that small children’s curiosity and lack of awareness of danger places them at increased risk of injury from TV and furniture tip overs.
“Children are naturally inquisitive and common household furniture can look very different and interesting from a toddler’s perspective – for example, they may see items of furniture like bookcases and shelves as a ladder to gain access to reach an item that is stored up high”, said Mrs Branch-Allen Kidsafe Tasmania CEO.
Kidsafe Australia has urged State and Territory Governments throughout Australia to follow recent action by the Victorian and Western Australian Governments and pass changes to legislation to allow renters to make minor approved modifications to their home without requiring permission from the landlord. This includes the act of securing televisions and other heavy items to walls and floors to prevent tip-over incidents.
Kidsafe Tasmania is advocating for the Tasmanian Government to follow Victoria and Western Australia’s lead.
In the interim, parents, grandparents and carers are being urged to be proactive and check every room in their home for toppling hazards and anchor any tall or unstable furniture or large TVs to prevent injury to children.
