Make Safety the Main Attraction During Viewing Parties

The first few months of each new year is prime time to have friends and family over to watch competitive sports games or Hollywood starlets walk the red carpet.  Whether your guests are huddled around the TV rooting for their favorite team or leading lady to win the main attraction of these events is your TV.  Statistics show that due to flat-screen TVs making it easy to put sets where they haven’t been before, on average, today’s home has more TVs than people, according to Nielsen Media Research.  that’s why this sports and awards season, UL is helping families understand how to avoid potential injuries due to TV tip overs by keeping their TVs and entertainment centers danger-free zones.

According to UL, as TVs grow in size- a 152-inch 3D TV was unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show – chances of them causing potential safety hazards due to tip overs grow as well.  Research show a 41 percent increase in TV tip-over related injuries to children over the past two decades – in 2007 alone, nearly 17,000 children were rushed to emergency rooms after heavy or unstable furniture fell over on them.  According to researchers, the increase correlated with the popularity of ever-bigger flat-panel televisions, along with the entertainment centers and narrow, less stable stands to hold them.

To help prevent unnecessary accidents due to TV tip overs, UL recommends taking the following safety precautions:

• Verify that furniture is stable on its own.  For added security, anchor to the floor or  attach all entertainment units to the wall using appropriate hardware, such as brackets, screws, or toggles.

• Place the TV on sturdy furniture appropriate for its size or on a low-rise base.

• Push the TV as far back as possible from the front of the stand.

• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach and teach them not ot play with cords.

• Remove items that might tempt kids to climb, like toys and remote controls, from the top of the TV and furniture.

[box]We know how hard it is for parents to be aware of all the potential safety hazards in today’s home, especially when entertaining a boisterous crowd of guests, but by committing just one minute to safety, parents can be confident they’ve implemented a solid offensive strategy against unnecessary accidents. – John Dregenberg, director of consumer safety at UL.[/box]

For more information on TV tip overs and home entertaining safety tips, go to SafetyAtHome.com

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