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Anchor tall furniture and TVs to the walls

Falling furniture and TVs kill and injure children every year. CPSC reports 581 tip-over deaths involving furniture, TVs or appliances in the US since 2000, 81 percent of them children. Anchoring is cheap and quick.

How

  1. Anchor every piece with drawers, doors or shelves, plus TVs, as the US Anchor It campaign advises.
  2. Use an anchoring kit, a drill, a screwdriver and a stud finder. Fix one bracket to the wall, move the furniture close, fix the other bracket to the furniture, connect and tighten the strap, then tug to test (Anchor It).
  3. Fix into studs or solid masonry with fixings suited to the wall, not into plasterboard alone.
  4. If a TV cannot be anchored, put it on a low, sturdy base pushed well back, and keep cables out of reach (CPSC).
  5. Keep toys and remotes off furniture tops so children do not climb, and put heavy items in lower drawers.
  6. Check new furniture for stability labels. Example (US): the STURDY Act standard for dressers and similar units took effect in September 2023. Example (Australia): suppliers must attach toppling warning labels to covered furniture 686 mm or taller and to entertainment units, and give anchoring advice (ACCC).
  7. In earthquake areas, FEMA also advises moving heavy items stored over about 1.2 m (4 ft) high to lower shelves, and fitting latches to cabinets and drawers.

Safety: Anchor before children use the room. Anchoring does not replace supervision.

Sources

  1. Anchor It! Anchoring to prevent TV and furniture tip-overs. US Consumer Product Safety Commission (AnchorIt.gov), accessed 2026-11
  2. CPSC AnchorIt! Campaign Marks 10 Years: Fewer Furniture Tip-Overs Lead to Safer American Households. US Consumer Product Safety Commission, accessed 2026-11
  3. CPSC Injury and Fatality Report Shows Despite Some Progress Need for TV and Furniture Tip-Over Prevention Remains Strong. US Consumer Product Safety Commission, accessed 2026-11
  4. New laws to increase awareness of the dangers of toppling furniture. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), accessed 2026-11
  5. Protect your property from earthquakes. FEMA, accessed 2026-11

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