Display Units and Kids: The UK Family-Proofing Survey

The risk a display unit presents to a small child is a stability risk before it is a glass risk, according to a new analysis from UK modern furniture retailer Furniture in Fashion. The report explains that any tall unit can tip once a door opens or a child pulls on a shelf, because the centre of gravity moves forward of the front feet, and that wall fixing is the direct remedy no material choice can substitute for. It stresses matching the fixing to the wall construction rather than relying on the strap supplied, since plasterboard and masonry need different solutions. Glass type ranks second, with toughened safety glass fragmenting into small blunt pieces rather than sharp shards, and shelf span mattering as much as thickness. The analysis also identifies the everyday incidents families actually manage, trapped fingers and knocks against edges, and recommends damped doors, rounded edges, drawer stops, low weight placement and grip pads on hard floors....