Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
New York Forces Retailers to Comply with Storage Unit Safety Standards, Enacts Harper’s Law
August 21,
2019 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
New York has enacted Harper’s Law, barring retailers from selling new clothing storage units that don’t meet standards for furniture stability unless they also offer tip restraint kits, according to a report from the Home Furnishings Association.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed Harper’s Law Tuesday, named for Harper Ayva Fried of Monroe, N.Y., who died at age 3 in November 2016 when a dresser in her room fell over. Her parents, Aaron and Erica Fried, formed HarperSmiles, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the danger of tip-over accidents.
The law takes effect in 90 days and requires retailers to post safety warnings about the potential for chests and dressers to tip over when children attempt to climb on them or pull them.
The law follows on the heels of the ASTM’s announcement that it will publish a revision to its standard for clothing storage units this fall revising the voluntary safety standard.
“Specifically, the new revision lowers the height to include units 27 inches tall and above (previously 30 inches and above),” ASTM said in a news release. “The update also modifies label language on risk of tip-overs and use of wall restraints, and adds graphics showing that televisions should not be placed on top of units.
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