Healthy Living: Television Dangers
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: December 14, 2012
Flat screen televisions are hot holiday gift items, but increasingly, children are being severely injured or killed when these televisions fall on top of them.
When they're not anchored, televisions can topple onto curious kids who grab them or climb furniture to get to them. This is the danger.
New TV's tend to be flat screen, have a higher center of gravity and not really be anchored to anything, making them a prime target for young kids.
More and more children are being injured this way.
Every 45-minutes in the county, a child is rushed to the hospital after a television falls on them, most are under age 5.
Experts and the TV manufacturer's group say flat screens should always be mounted to the wall securely.
You can also buy inexpensive straps to attach older TV's and dressers to the wall.
They're simple safety methods to keep curious children out of harm's way.
One more thing to keep in mind, experts also recommend keeping the tops of dressers and entertainment centers clear of items that might catch the attention of kids.
When they're not anchored, televisions can topple onto curious kids who grab them or climb furniture to get to them. This is the danger.
New TV's tend to be flat screen, have a higher center of gravity and not really be anchored to anything, making them a prime target for young kids.
More and more children are being injured this way.
Every 45-minutes in the county, a child is rushed to the hospital after a television falls on them, most are under age 5.
Experts and the TV manufacturer's group say flat screens should always be mounted to the wall securely.
You can also buy inexpensive straps to attach older TV's and dressers to the wall.
They're simple safety methods to keep curious children out of harm's way.
One more thing to keep in mind, experts also recommend keeping the tops of dressers and entertainment centers clear of items that might catch the attention of kids.
