Furniture Safety Week Shines Spotlight on Five Hidden Home Hazards

Furniture-related accidents in the home cause thousands of injuries each year. Furniture Safety Week helps bring the hidden hazards to light.

HIGH POINT, NC, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Alliance4Safety, a home health and safety resource, has designated the first full week in October as Furniture Safety Week to help homeowners prepare for the busy holiday season by identifying potential home hazards.

"October is a good month for taking a quick home safety audit," says Alliance4Safety spokesperson Patricia Bowling. "Raising awareness of 'hidden' hazards will not only make holidays safer, it will help prevent accidents year-around, especially those involving children."

From 2013 to 2023, more than 100 children ages one to three were killed in furniture tip-over accidents. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which tracks injury data and recalls unsafe products, reports thousands of additional children are injured every year due to furniture tipping over and falling on them. Even lighter weight and shorter furniture can tip if not anchored to the wall. Homeowners can reduce the hazard by anchoring any furniture with drawers or shelves that youngsters might be tempted to climb. Additional precautions include storing heavier items in bottom drawers and keeping remote controls, toys and other tempting items off the top of TVs and furniture where children can see but not reach them.

When furnishing smaller bedrooms, bunk beds are a great space-saver. But bunk beds carry a warning label that cautions parents not to allow small children to use the top bunk -- and for good reason. More than half of all bunk bed-related injuries involve kids under age six. Federal bunk bed construction standards call for precise measurements for the top railings, no finials or post extensions on the top bunk, and a detailed warning label that includes the exact size mattress recommended for both the top and bottom bunk.

Reclining furniture can present another unexpected hazard, especially for children who are fascinated by the moving parts. But fingers and limbs can be pinched by a folding footrest, so it is best to keep kids (and pets) in view when closing a recliner, particularly those with motorized features. In recent years, several toddlers were killed after climbing under a recliner and getting caught in the closing mechanism. In households with a toddler or a baby who has begun crawling, caregivers should consider unplugging power furniture when not in use.

Glass-top tables can present a hazard for both children and adults if not constructed with tempered glass. An estimated 2.5 million people – many of them children under age seven – are injured by broken glass-top tables every year. Tempered glass is stronger and safer than non-tempered glass, because it breaks into small pieces rather than jagged shards.

Finally, unsecured televisions remain the cause of many tragic home accidents. From 2013 to 2023, 90 children were killed when a TV or a TV plus the furniture it was sitting on tipped over and fell on them, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In households with small children, all TVs should be wall-mounted, if possible. "TVs that cannot be wall-mounted should be placed on a low, sturdy cabinet, and secured to the wall or to the furniture with a TV anchor," says Bowling. "And never place a TV on furniture that was not built to accommodate electronics."

More TV and furniture anchoring tips, including how-to videos, can be found at AnchorIt.gov, a furniture and TV safety website created by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

More home safety tips also are available at Alliance4Safety.org.

Patricia Bowling
American Home Furnishings Alliance
pbowling@ahfa.us