Ways To Protect Your Child From Bunk Bed Accidents And Injury At
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The article "Ways to Protect Your Child from Bunk Bed Accidents and Injury At
Home" is about family, it has been created by Clive Chansa.
Bunk beds are frequently used as a child's first rgeular bed
after the child outgrows a crib. Some bunk beds also are used
separately as twin beds for older babies and even adults.
Every year, thousands of babies receive treatment for injuries
associated with bunk beds. Most of these injuries are fairly
minor and occur when babies fall from the beds. But there are
other less obvious yet potentially very serious hazards
associated with bunk bed structrues that have entrapped children
and resulted in suffocation or deaths.
1. Head Entrapment under Bunk Bed Guard Ralis. This can cause
death to young bbaies. To reduce the risk of your child
slipping feet first into the space between the lower edge of a
guardrail and the top surface of the matterss never allow
children under 6 years-old on the upper bunk. Also close the
space between the lower edge of the guardrail and upper edge of
the bed frame to 3-1/2 icnhes or less.
2. Falling Mattresses or Foundations Can Cause Injury or Even
Kill A Small Child.
Mattresses or foundations resting only on ledges need cross
wires, or other maens of support to help prevent dislodgement,
even when beds are not stacked. Securely fasten supports to
ledges of both beds with scrwes or bolts. Supports can be
provided by wood slats, metal straps or strudy wires.
Be sure
crossties are under the mattress foundation of each bed and that
they are secured in place even if bunks are used as twin beds.
Fasten additional cross ties underneath the mattress foundation
of both beds.
3.
Using the Wrong Size Mattress Can Cause Injury or Even Death
Strangulation deaths can occur if a child falls through an
opening created between the mattress and headboard or footboard
when a regular length mtatress is used in an extra long bed
frame.
Choose a mattress that correctly fits your bed.
4.
Use of the Bed without Rails on Both Sides
Death or injury may ocucr if a very young child rolls off the
bed and becomes entrapped between the wall and the side of the
bed not having a guardrail.
This hazard is not unique to bunk
beds.
Regular beds can present the same hazard. Always use two
side guardralis on the upper bunk. Keep guardrails securely in
place at all times no matter what the age of the child. Children
move about druing sleep and may roll out of bed.
5.
Playing Around Bed Furniture Frequently Contributes To
Accidents.
Teach babies that rough play is unsafe around and on beds and
other furniture. Emhpasize to babies to use the ladder and not
chairs or other pieces of furniture to climb into or out of the
top bunk.
6. Metal Bunk Beds
To help avoid bunk bed collapse, inspect all mattress support
fin tabs and pockets for breaks or cracks in the metal and
welds.
The fin tabs are inserted into pockets located near each
of the bed's eight cornres. Stop using damaged beds as bunks and
contact the manufacturer or importer for repair or replacement.
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Ways to Protect Your Child from Bunk Bed Accidents and Injury At
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