Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2021 CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov Governor Whitmer declares Feb. 7 TV, Furniture and LANSING, Mich. – Due to families spending more time indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, children are at an increased risk of injury or death from furniture and TV tip-overs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 as TV, Furniture and Appliance Tip-Over Prevention Awareness Day to raise awareness of this risk and encourage households to anchor all TVs in the home, including new ones bought during holiday sales or purchased for Super Bowl Sunday. "The stats show that taking simple precautions can save a child from serious injury or even death caused by tip-overs," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. "I urge families to be proactive and protect their loved ones by securing furniture with affordable and easy-to-install anti-tip kits." According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) latest report, there is a need for parents and caregivers to address the risk of furniture and appliance tip-over. Between 2000 and 2019, 451 children age 17 and under were killed by furniture and TV tip-over incidents. During the period from 2017 through 2019, an annual average of 11,100 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for tip-over-related injuries. Seventy-nine percent of all furniture and TV tip-over fatalities involved children younger than six and 75% of fatal incidents for children involved a TV. Many of these incidents are silent because the child bears the impact of the falling object and crash noises are often minimized. Children typically do not have the strength, agility or speed to avoid harm when a heavier object tips toward them. In addition, 16% of tip-over injuries treated in emergency departments in the U.S. between 2016 and 2018 involved adults who were age 60 or older. Families can eliminate the danger of furniture, TV, and appliance tip-overs by re-arranging furniture, installing simple safety devices such as brackets and wall-mounting straps to secure heavy furniture and TVs. Families can also recycle old and unused TVs and appliances. Visit the Safe Kids Michigan Coalition website at Michigan.gov/injuryprevention for instruction videos, tip sheets and even directions on how to recycle old TVs. The Injury and Violence Prevention Section of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services can help parents and caregivers find more information to help them make their homes safe. # # #
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Sunday, February 7, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Governor Whitmer declares Feb. 7 TV, Furniture and Appliance Tip-Over Prevention Awareness Day
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