Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
CPSC Marks 10th Anniversary of Anchor It! Campaign with PSA
July 29,
2025 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is marking the 10th anniversary of the Anchor It! campaign, a landmark initiative launched in 2015 to address the deadly hazard of TV and furniture tip-overs. With the help of industry advocates and several parents who lost their children to tip-overs, CPSC started the campaign to educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of falling TVs and furniture amid widespread child injuries and fatalities. Campaign efforts contributed to a nearly 50-percent decline in tip-over-related injuries and deaths in the U.S.
The Anchor It! campaign promoted the use of anti-tip devices through video and radio Public Service Announcements, social media, and journalism. It showed consumers that the threat of furniture tip-overs is serious, but anchoring is simple.
One of the biggest safety improvements of the past decade has been CPSC's federal mandatory standard, which was directed by Congress through passage of the STURDY (Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth) Act. The mandatory standard, which went into effect in September 2023, requires clothing storage units such as dressers and armoires to meet key stability requirements. CPSC continues to work with manufacturers and retailers to recall unsafe dressers and to keep them out of consumers' homes.
"CPSC has made great strides in the past 10 years to minimize these hazards and save lives," said Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. "I am grateful for the work of our dedicated staff, safety advocates, and the American furniture industry, without whose collaboration none of this would be possible."
Kimberly Amato, co-founder of Parents Against Tip-Overs (PAT), shared that the CPSC Anchor It! campaign has been an invaluable partner for PAT over the past decade. "The parents who founded PAT came together in the wake of their personal tragedies with a simple mission: to ensure no other children were injured or killed as the result of a tip-over," she said. "Collaborating with CPSC to educate parents, grandparents, and caregivers of young children to prevent tip-over tragedies and ensure all communities know why and how to anchor their furniture has contributed to the success of our shared goal."
CPSC urges Americans to take essential steps to protect themselves and their families from dangerous tip-over risks:
Anchor TVs and furniture, such as bookcases and dressers, securely to the wall.
When anchoring is not possible, place TVs on a sturdy, low base, push the TV back as far as possible, and keep cable cords out of reach.
Avoid storing appealing items such as toys and remotes where kids may be tempted to climb to reach for them; store heavier items on lower shelves.
For consumers' peace of mind, CPSC's Anchor It! campaign website outlines three simple steps to install an anchoring kit correctly.
CPSC's Anchor It! campaign has marked its 10th anniversary by preparing video testimonials from PAT parents affected by tip-over incidents. Media can download footage of the testimonials here.
The Anchor It! campaign's PSA safety video includes real-life footage of children and falling furniture. Media can download the video: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/h3OyF8WvPu"Even When You're Watching"