New furniture rules in U.S. could make furniture safer for children in Canada

A new law in the United States will make new dressers much safer for children and could make dressers in Canada safer as well.

Health Canada says hundreds of kids are injured by furniture tip-overs every year, with at least 60 per cent of all incidents causing injuries involving dressers, desks, chests and TVs.

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Kimberly Amato fought for change after her daughter was killed in a dresser tip-over accident.

"Our family woke up on the morning of December 18th, 2004 to every parent's nightmare. Our beautiful three-year-old twin daughter, Megan, was found lifeless beneath her dresser. It had tipped over on her," said Amato.

Since her tragic loss, Amato and other parents have been fighting for change. They finally won the hard-fought battle when the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act went into effect last year in the U.S., setting stricter rules on manufacturers to prevent tip-overs of clothing storage furniture over a certain size and weight.

"The good news is all the dressers we tested that were made after September 2023 passed our rigorous tip-over tests," said Lauren Kirchner with Consumer Reports (CR).

While there's no similar law in Canada, any furniture that's made here to be shipped to the U.S. will need to comply with the provisions of the act. Additionally, dressers brought in from the U.S. may also adhere to the new standards. Consumers, however, will still need to check their specifications to ensure the dresser is compliant.

CR tests include pulling out the drawers and hanging 25 kilogram weights from one of the top drawers for at least 10 seconds to simulate a child climbing or hanging off the furniture. If the dresser stays upright, it passes.

That doesn't mean every dresser in every bedroom is safe as older dressers prone to tip-overs are still on the market. In fact, CR said two dressers manufactured before September 2023 failed recent tests.

"The new rule only applies to dressers built after Sept. 1, 2023. Anything built before that date doesn't have to meet the new requirements, but it can still be sold," said Kirchner.

If you're buying a new dresser, shop in person, ask when the dresser was made and if it meets Sturdy Act requirements. For online shoppers, look for a manufacture date after Sept. 1, 2023. Anchor kits can also be used on dressers to ensure they are secured to the wall.

"I can think of no better way to honor Maggie’s legacy than to know that this standard that we fought so hard for works," said Amato.

Health Canada said television tip overs are also a major problem, with 70 per cent of TVs toppling on children between the ages of one and three. New TVs, while much lighter, still pose a safety risk, though they can also be secured to a TV stand or wall.