Safety Alert: Protecting children from furniture

Lake City child hurt by falling dresser

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Every year, 13,000 children are hurt in the United States by falling furniture and televisions according to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

A Lake City child was flown to the Shands hospital Tuesday afternoon when a piece of furniture fell on them.

Cynthia Dennis, a safety advocate from Safe Kids Northeast Florida said 1 in 3 children each week will be killed by a falling TV.

Dennis said there are steps parents can take to protect younger children.

"Seven out of 10 times it happens to the younger kids. The 5 and unders and there are simple steps that can prevent it and it just needs to be par of the child-proofing that we do for the more normal things that we think about," Dennis told Channel 4's Jennifer Waugh on The Morning Show Wednesday.

Parents can buy brackets and straps that are designed to keep televisions from falling off of taller furniture like dressers and stands. There are other simple measures to take. 

"They can make sure they rearrange the items that are in it. Put the heavy things at the bottom so it's not top heavy. Make sure you don't put things on the top that would attract a child because what they do is, they pull a drawer out and climb. So, you can put dresser or drawer stops so that drawers can't be pulled all the way out to climb on," Dennis said.

She also recommended not putting items like remote controls or toys on top of dressers and other tall furniture.

For other ways to keep children safe, visit www.safekids.org.