Did You Know Furniture Should be Anchored? 4


I have just been reading this week about Meghan. A girl who was killed when her dresser, or chest of draws as we’d call it, fell on her. It really shocked me and got my attention. My boys have had their book shelf fall on them! Seems my boys were lucky.

It’s eight years since her death and to mark the anniversary her mother, Kimberly, wrote some very long, thoughtful and moving posts.

This post explains in detail what happened, and has photos of the furniture. Thing is it looks sturdy, solid, and harmless.
Be with me just for today…. it’s utterly heartbreaking, yet beautiful.

I could understand a huge fully laden bookcase injuring a child, but killing them?!? I had no idea that those little straps that come in Ikea wardrobe screw packs were important. And I’ve only ever seen them with Ikea items, and never read a serious warning about wardrobe or cupboard safety. Why aren’t all shops doing this, why has no one ever mentioned anchor straps? We need awareness of it. So share the links please, and read what Kimberly wrote.

A USA based petition by Kimberly to make anchoring straps mandatory.

A UK petition I made, please sign and share. I’m asking for warning labels on new furniture and anchoring straps to be available at all furniture retailers.

Be warned, tissues on standby, Kimberly’s blog could make you cry and it’s lots of long posts. In fact every Mum I chat to cried reading it, maybe read it when no one is looking!

The point of me sharing on the blog here is that from the comments on her posts most parents had little or no idea about the issue of furniture tip over. Therefore raising awareness could save lives. It would take a few minutes of your time to fit these straps to your children’s wardrobes and furniture.

If you can’t find anywhere to buy them I read on Kimberly’s blog that one parent improvised with leather belts screwed into the walls and looped around the furniture.
A quick google search found this page, showing several versions.

I’m not recommending that shop, never heard of them before, but it’s to show you what we are looking for.

This is Meghan, or Meggie as she was called by family. Photo used with permission. X


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