CPSC has just released their 2012 Product Instability or Tip-Over Injuries and Fatalities report, http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia13/os/tipover2012.pdf . The report looks at reported injury estimates between 2009 and 2011 and reported fatalities between 2000 and 2011 for instability or tip-overs with furniture, televisions, and appliances.
The injury section of the report shows that nearly 250,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for product instability or tip-over injuries between 2006 and 2011. 59% of these injuries involved children under the age of 18. The report breaks the injuries out in to three product types, Televisions, Only Furniture, & Appliances. The report indicates that there were 39,100 emergency room reported injuries in 2006 and 40,100 in 2011. Furniture tip overs continue to make up the largest percentage of injury reports followed closely by televisions.
The fatalities section of the report shows similar statistics. Of the 349 fatalities reported to CPSC between 2000 and 2011, 84% involved children under the age of 18. For fatalities, televisions make up the largest percentage (62%) with furniture being second (30%). There were 31 reported deaths in 2006 and 41 reported in 2011, a 32% increase in the last 6 years.
Over the past six years, there have been a number of highly-publicized child fatalities due to television tip overs. In addition, the industry has been working to educate consumers on the hazard of tip overs, and manufacturers have begun to include anti-tip devices and anchors with their products. What’s surprising is that even with all this effort, there has been no significant positive change in injury frequency in the last six years.
