One of the most important aspects of every home is safety – and I’m not just talking about house alarms or security cameras. Turns out, the furniture you own and its placement in a room can pose an unexpected health risk too!
Of course, the safety level also depends on your household members. If you have one or more toddlers running around all day, you clearly need to child-proof many items. Cleaning commonly touched surfaces daily is equally important, especially now that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic.
But which do you think is the most dangerous thing in your home?
The table.
Glass tables, a top danger
While I can’t say I’m shocked, I didn’t expect glass tables to be the most dangerous things in our homes. However, science has just confirmed this awful truth.
A study recently conducted at the Rutgers University looked at 3,241 injuries brought by the popular home fixtures reported in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
According to researchers, most of these incidents involved children under 7 years old or young adults in their 20s. Up to 15% of the reports claimed to have suffered ‘severe’ injuries especially in the lower torso or the wrists.
What’s worse, 24 of the recorded accidents required urgent medical assistance and half of them have even led to surgery. The study showed that 8% of these patients passed away within a month after the surgery.
Why are they so dangerous?
Naturally, the next question that comes to mind is why are these tables so unsafe when they’re one of the most commonly used pieces of furniture at home?
Mostly, the response lies in the material used to make the tables. Glass can break into large, sharp shards, increasing the chance of severe injury. If you purchase a table from a no-name brand, for instance, you may get a low-quality glass which can break at the slightest bump.
Stephanie Bonne, assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, believes officials should impose stricter regulation to avoid any new injuries caused by this piece of furniture – especially since it’s so common.
A small piece of a bigger puzzle
Now we know that glass tables are statistically the most dangerous item in your home, at least furniture-wise. However, they’re only a small part of a much bigger problem in terms of health danger.
Dressers, TVs and bookshelves can also cause serious injuries; in fact, some can even be fatal. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that a child dies every two weeks from a furniture tip-over accident, which is tragic to say the least.
The issue became so serious in 2016 that Ikea recalled 29 million Hemnes dressers after six children were fatally injured and 36 others suffered from serious injuries when the piece of furniture toppled onto them.
How to stay safe
Unless you’re an expert in the field, it can be nearly impossible to tell the difference between a good-quality glass table and a dangerous one. Experts say your best bet is to simply ask manufacturers all the details about the glass resistance and pick the best option – especially if you’re a toddler’s parent.