Secure Those Sets for Super Bowl Viewing

As you prepare for your Super Bowl party, make sure the televisions in your home are in safe locations and properly secured so they don't fall on children.

Every 45 minutes, a child in the United States arrives at a hospital emergency room for treatment for injuries caused by TVs tipping over, according to the child-safety organization Safe Kids Worldwide.

Larger and heavier cathode-ray tube TVs are especially dangerous. If they're located on dressers or high furniture, they can topple over and seriously harm or even kill youngsters, Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide, said in a news release from the group.

To help prevent such injuries, Safe Kids has proclaimed National TV Safety Day on Feb. 1, the day before the Super Bowl. Parents and caregivers are urged to check that all TVs are in proper locations and safely secured.

Tube TVs should be placed on low, stable pieces of furniture. If your family has one that's no longer used, consider recycling it. Flat-panel TVs should be mounted to the wall to reduce the risk of tip-over, Carr said.

"We're asking families to add one important -- and perhaps overlooked -- task to their Super Bowl prep," Carr said.

"Take a look around your home," she said. "Can the flat-panel TV tip over? Have you moved the old [tube TV] to a bedroom dresser where it rarely gets watched? On National TV Safety Day, recycle that old TV. Your home will be safer for it."

More information

Safe Kids Worldwide has more about TV and furniture tip-overs.