ACCC introduces new laws to reduce toppling furniture dangers

The safety of our loved ones is paramount, and when it comes to the sanctity of our homes, we assume a level of security that, tragically, is not always guaranteed.

In light of this, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken a significant step to enhance the safety of furniture in our homes.



This comes after ACCC revealed that nearly 1,000 Australians are injured each year due to unstable furniture, with 28 deaths recorded over the past 24 years.

Heartbreakingly, 17 of these fatalities were children under the age of five.

In response to these figures, the ACCC has announced a new furniture standard to prevent further tragedies.


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ACCC released new warning laws to target toppling furniture. Credit: Shutterstock


The new toppling furniture information standard, introduced by Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones on 3 May, represents a ‘critical step towards reducing the injuries and deaths’, ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.

The dangers of toppling furniture are severe, with head injuries, crush injuries, and suffocation being the leading causes of death.

The risk is particularly high for young children, who are naturally curious and often unaware of the potential dangers posed by heavy, unsecured items.

However, it's not just the little ones who are at risk; elderly Australians are also vulnerable to these hazards.



Under the new regulations, furniture suppliers are now required to take several measures to mitigate the risks associated with furniture toppling.

These include attaching a permanent warning label to furniture items, providing safety information and advice about anchoring furniture in manuals and assembly instructions, and issuing warnings about the hazards of toppling furniture in stores and online.

For businesses that fail to comply with these standards, they will pay the maximum penalty for breaching the standard set at $50 million.

It's important to note that the standard excludes second-hand and resold furniture, as well as furniture already designed to be fastened to the wall.

The ACCC advised the best way to prevent furniture from tipping over.



‘The best way to prevent furniture from tipping over is to secure it to the wall or floor,’ the ACCC said.

‘What you’ll need depends on what your wall or floor is made of and what kind of furniture you’re working with. There are different kinds of wall and floor anchors available.’

‘If your furniture doesn’t come with anchoring hardware, you can ask about anchors and buy what you need from a furniture retailer, hardware store or a speciality store for baby goods.’

Additional safety measures include storing heavy items in the bottom drawers to prevent furniture from becoming top-heavy and locking drawers to prevent children from using them as steps to climb.

Before purchasing new furniture, the ACCC recommended examining it in the store to ensure it is sturdy and stable.
Key Takeaways
  • The ACCC has introduced a new furniture information standard after the deaths of 17 young children due to toppling furniture.
  • Furniture suppliers are now required by law to include permanent warning labels, safety information, and advice on anchoring furniture.
  • The new standard aims to reduce injuries and fatalities by making consumers aware of the risks and providing them with necessary safety measures.
  • Consumers are advised to secure furniture to walls or floors and take other preventive measures, such as keeping heavy items in lower drawers.
We would love to hear from you about the steps you're taking to secure furniture in your home or any experiences you've had with unstable furniture. Your insights could be invaluable to fellow readers and help prevent future accidents. Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below, and let's work together to keep our families safe.
 
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Now with the trend for built in furniture in bedrooms and sometimes in living areas there are not so many freestanding items to topple onto Kids/adults. A lot of modern furniture is much lighter than the older style furniture pieces, which adds to the risks, and these lighter pieces do need to be secured to walls/floor. this is not an option in rentals.
 
It's all quite reasonable and sensible to secure furniture against possible toppling, but where does that leave renters? A lot won't want to risk any impact on their bond. I had to secure some high shelving units in my last rental and then had to expend time and money to patch the walls when they were removed. How do we work around this? (and hanging art.)
 
Bad luck for renters, who are in most cases forbidden from attaching anything to walls!
tenancy laws state if it's secured anywhere around the home it becomes the property of the owner. Sorry but its been that way at least since 1988 when I was an Tenancy Advocate. Even I pulled a wardrobe over me when I was a kid. Goes with growning up.
 
Parental responsibility required in the first instance. Regarding rentals - perhaps a law needs to be passed that the owner of a rental will be held responsible for all costs, including medical costs and loss of income, due to any injury from furniture that is not properly secured and causes injury to a tenant, and proof that any damage caused to walls was deliberately done by a tenant before their bond is impacted in any way. All injury must be proven and documented in some way.
 
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tenancy laws state if it's secured anywhere around the home it becomes the property of the owner. Sorry but it’s been that way at least since 1988 when I was a Tenancy Advocate. Even I pulled a wardrobe over me when I was a kid. Goes with growning up.
I’m a renter and that’s the first I’ve heard of that rule. I can’t even have a key safe for ambos outside without removing it if I leave so that it looks as though it was never there.
 
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I’m a renter and that’s the first I’ve heard of that rule. I can’t even have a key safe for ambos outside without removing it if I leave so that it looks as though it was never there.
That’s a shame about the key safe. Perhaps you could leave a contact number of a close relative with your local police to contact for entry or a trusted neighbour could keep a set of your house keys for urgent entry. I don’t know if your local ambulance centre would also keep a contact number and be able to contact family when needed. I believe they have to contact police first.

I have the house keys of two neighbours and have, on more than one occasion, had to enter one house right next to me when the smoke alarm has sounded to make sure nothing was wrong with her or there was no fire. Fortunately no issues there on those occasions. Both those neighbours have a set of my house keys also.
 
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What about garage pull down doors ! My husband was opening one in a property we were renting and it fell on his head knocking him out
That’s a shame about the key safe. Perhaps you could leave a contact number of a close relative with your local police to contact for entry or a trusted neighbour could keep a set of your house keys for urgent entry. I don’t know if your local ambulance centre would also keep a contact number and be able to contact family when needed. I believe they have to contact police first.

I have the house keys of two neighbours and have, on more than one occasion, had to enter one house right next to me when the smoke alarm has sounded to make sure nothing was wrong with her or there was no fire. Fortunately no issues there on those o ccasions. Both those neighbours have a set of my house keys also.
That is nice of you to be so caring.l suppose it all comes down to trusting people with your keys.My neighbours came rushing out when our alarm went off ages ago.We can't see each others houses she just heard the loud
 
Ridiculous, just an extra cost to the maker. Teach your children not to climb on furniture. I am angry at the things I cannot open because of childproof locks on them. How easy is it to keep things out of their reach.
 
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That’s a shame about the key safe. Perhaps you could leave a contact number of a close relative with your local police to contact for entry or a trusted neighbour could keep a set of your house keys for urgent entry. I don’t know if your local ambulance centre would also keep a contact number and be able to contact family when needed. I believe they have to contact police first.

I have the house keys of two neighbours and have, on more than one occasion, had to enter one house right next to me when the smoke alarm has sounded to make sure nothing was wrong with her or there was no fire. Fortunately no issues there on those occasions. Both those neighbours have a set of my house keys also.
This is an excellent idea. My Mum had the same arrangement with two trusted neighbours in case of emergency. Unfortunately, it was employed when Mum could not contacted. A neighbour found her unconscious in bed. Mum had consumed a massive amount of paracetamol and died four days later due to hepatic and renal failure.

Yes....she did commit suicide. Albeit, slowly. 😭
 
Parental responsibility required in the first instance. Regarding rentals - perhaps a law needs to be passed that the owner of a rental will be held responsible for all costs, including medical costs and loss of income, due to any injury from furniture that is not properly secured and causes injury to a tenant, and proof that any damage caused to walls was deliberately done by a tenant before their bond is impacted in any way. All injury must be proven and documented in some way.
If a tenant installs dangerous furniture that is the tenant's problem. In the true spirit of trusting a tenant to be responsible, formal inspections are reduced to 1 every three months and the tenant can otherwise deny access to landlord/letting agency to inspect the tenant's furniture. Any fixtures attached to the walls by the tenant require the permission of the landlord and if this is not sought and given then should the tenant fix anything to the walls, then that is the tenant's liability to repair ANY holes/damage to the walls caused by the unapproved fixtures. That is very reasonable. It includes hooks from which the tenant wishes to hang a picture and also blue-tack and cellotape.
 
Putting manuals with any consumer product falls on blind eyes.

How many people purchase an item, install or connect them, find it does not perform to expectation, if at all, then whinge to the retailer?

Meanwhile, the operating or installation manual is sitting in the bottom of the box in its pretty little plastic bag, unopened!
 
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If a tenant installs dangerous furniture that is the tenant's problem. In the true spirit of trusting a tenant to be responsible, formal inspections are reduced to 1 every three months and the tenant can otherwise deny access to landlord/letting agency to inspect the tenant's furniture. Any fixtures attached to the walls by the tenant require the permission of the landlord and if this is not sought and given then should the tenant fix anything to the walls, then that is the tenant's liability to repair ANY holes/damage to the walls caused by the unapproved fixtures. That is very reasonable. It includes hooks from which the tenant wishes to hang a picture and also blue-tack and cellotape.
The pertinent Residential Tenancy Act for all states contains details regarding the above. It is surprising what a tenant can or cannot do to a rental property.
 
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It's all quite reasonable and sensible to secure furniture against possible toppling, but where does that leave renters? A lot won't want to risk any impact on their bond. I had to secure some high shelving units in my last rental and then had to expend time and money to patch the walls when they were removed. How do we work around this? (and hanging art.)
Yes it a tough one for renters- I always buy low items because of this problem and shelves are out of the question- I don’t have small children visiting but just want to be safe- I have one tall narrow bookshelf which has all my heaviest books on the bottom shelf and only ornaments and photographs above.
 
The pertinent Residential Tenancy Act for all states contains details regarding the above. It is surprising what a tenant can or cannot do to a rental property.
"
It is surprising what a tenant can or cannot do to a rental property.

And without the landlord's permission that is probably quite wise. Having seen a fair bit of what does happen without a landlord's permission.........
 

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