Advocates urge furniture companies to prioritize new federal safety standards

WASHINGTON, Md — Furniture manufacturers have less than a month to comply with new federal safety guidelines to try to prevent tip-over injuries and deaths.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 230 people have died from furniture tip-overs from early 2000 to mid-2022. This includes nearly 200 children.

“I held her in the emergency room and rocked her for the last time and promised her that she would be the last child to die this way,” said Kimberly Amato with Parents Against Tip-Overs.

Kimberly Amato said her daughter, Meghan, was only three years old when a dresser tipped over and fell on her overnight in 2004. Her story isn’t uncommon.

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“You should be able to depend on you know that the dresser is not going to be the cause of your child’s death or injury,” said Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger.

Starting September 1, all manufacturers must provide kits to anchor furniture to the wall and build dressers that meet higher stability standards. These new changes are part of the bipartisan STURDY Act.

“We’re concerned that parents are going to have a hard time distinguishing between the older non-compliant furniture that might still be for sale because there’s nothing to stop them from selling that,” said Cowles.

That’s why several parent and consumer advocacy groups sent an open letter to retailers urging them to prioritize these changes as soon as possible. It also offers some guidance for families.

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For example, if you’re buying new furniture soon, advocates say look for this code: ASTM F2057-23. If you see 23 at the end, then you know it meets the newest federal standards. And if you don’t - just ask.

“The purpose of our letter is so that [retailers] are ready for consumers to ask and they’ll have that information handy,” said Cowles. “Because the last thing we want is someone to know about the effective date and still end up with unsafe furniture.”

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For the furniture you already have at home, these groups suggest anchoring that to the wall, as well.

If companies don’t follow these new standards, then it can lead to hefty fines or criminal penalties.

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission can push the company to recall that whole lot and if it doesn’t meet the standard,” said Cowles.

You can find more information about how to anchor furniture here.

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