Brighton, Mich. –Every 45 minutes, or less than the length of a Sesame Street episode, a child somewhere in the U.S. visits the emergency room for injuries caused by televisions that are not properly secured. Young children are of greatest risk to TV tip-overs, and many injuries are a result of unsteady TVs that are not secured to the wall.
Large and heavy old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs placed on dressers or high furniture can easily tip over if children climb onto the furniture and cause serious injuries, even death, to the child. Flat screen TVs that are top-heavy with narrow bases can also be easily pulled off an entertainment center or table.
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Safe Kids Worldwide and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ® are teaming up to help make homes safer by encouraging families to recycle their old TVs. Safe Kids and CEA are also urging parents and caregivers to do quick checks of their homes and make sure all of their TVs are safely secured.
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“Most families are unaware that securing a TV is an important safety measure in their homes,” said Amber Kroeker, Safe Kids Huron Valley Coordinator and Injury Prevention Health Educator for Mott Children’s Hospital. “We don’t want any child to endure injuries as a result of an unsteady TV tipping over, when the incident can be easily prevented.”
Safe Kids Huron Valley recommends these top tips to help keep kids safe from TV tip-overs:
1. Secure your TV. If you have an older CRT TV, make sure you place it on a low, stable piece of furniture that is appropriate for the TV’s size and weight.
2. Recycle your TV. To find a location to safely and easily recycle unwanted TVs, go to www.GreenerGadgets.org.
3. If you’re replacing your CRT TV with a new flat screen panel TV, Safe Kids recommends mounting the TV to the wall to reduce the risk of the TV tipping over.
For more TV safety tips, visit www.safekids.org
About Safe Kids Huron Valley
Safe Kids Huron Valley, which includes Livingston and Washtenaw counties, works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children through age 14. Throughout the world, almost 1 million children die of injuries each year, and every one of these tragedies is preventable. Safe Kids Huron Valley is a member of Safe Kids Michigan and Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Huron Valley is proudly led by University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Visit Safe Kids Huron Valley on Facebook.