Legislation Requires Warnings and Sale of Tip Restraint Devices to Improve Safety in the Home
According to a report by the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, children under the age of 18 are more likely to be injured by tipping furniture, and children under the age of two suffer the highest likelihood of death. Legislation that will increase transparency of possible risk and improve safety was approved by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee on Thursday.
The bill (A-4593) requires certain furniture retailers to provide notice of furniture tip over risks and requires tip restraint devices be available for purchase. Assembly Democrat Gary S. Schaer (D-Bergen and Passaic), primary sponsor of the bill, issued the following statement:
“Home should always be synonymous with safety. No family should ever suffer the tragedy of having their child injured by furniture they trusted to be safe. With this bill, we will continue to make New Jersey homes safer for our families and their children. This bill will make buyers aware of potential tipping hazards and require retailers provide tip restraint devices during any sale. Losing even a single child to a preventable accident is too many; with this legislation we will protect every family from experiencing that unnecessary loss.”