Super Bowl Prep Tip: Make Sure Your TV Won’t Tip Over

Every 45 minutes in the United States, a child is rushed to the emergency room for injuries caused by televisions that are not appropriately secured. To help prevent these TV tip overs, Safe Kids Springfield is launching National TV Safety Day on Feb. 1, 2014, the day before Super Bowl XLVIII.

As families prepare to gather around their television sets for that must-see event, it’s a good time to remind them about simple things they can do to make their homes safer.

As part of this effort, Safe Kids Worldwide and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ® are teaming up to encourage families to recycle their old TVs. Additionally, they’re urging parents and caregivers to do quick checks of their homes and make sure all of their TVs are safely secured and placed properly. Larger and heavier cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs placed on dressers or high furniture can tip over and cause serious injuries, even death, if children climb onto the furniture.

“No parent should have to endure the loss of a child due to a TV tip over,” said Daphne Greenlee, coordinator of Safe Kids Springfield and Mercy Trauma Outreach. “A few simple steps are all it takes to ensure the safety of your child.”

Safe Kids encourages families to include TV safety as part of their childproofing plans. Here are some top tips:

Secure your TV. If you have an older CRT TV, make sure you place it on a low, stable piece of furniture that is appropriate for the TV’s size and weight. Recycle your TV. To find a location to safely and easily recycle unwanted TVs, go to www.GreenerGadgets.org. If you’re replacing your CRT TV with a new TV, be sure it’s properly secured. For flat screen TVs, consider mounting them to the wall.

For more TV safety tips, visit www.safekids.org

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