Take precautions to avoid bunk bed injuries

Use precautions to avoid bunk bed-related injuries

The summer months mean no school and plenty of time for sleepovers. Before your child's slumber parties lead to children piling on the bunk bed, educate yourself about proper safety measures to keep from landing in the Emergency Department.

Every year, nearly 36,000 children suffer non-fatal injuries related to bunk beds. Children younger than 6 suffer the majority of injuries, with significant injury rates also seen among college-aged students. Lacerations are the most common type of injury.

"The bed should be newly constructed and assembled correctly," said Claudia Romo, program manager for Injury Prevention at Children's. "Smaller children should sleep in the bottom bunk."

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has mandated a safety standard for bunk beds. The standard aims to prevent injury or death to children who become trapped in the beds' structure or wedged between the bed and the wall.

When buying a bed

CPSC rules require bunk beds made for sale in the United States meet these requirements:

Any bed in which the bottom of the foundation is more than 30 inches from the floor must have guardrails on both sides. The side rail along the wall must be continuous.
The openings in the upper bunk structure must be small enough (less than 3.5 inches) to prevent passage of a child's torso.
The openings at the ends of the lower bunk structure must be small enough to prevent entry by a child's head or torso, or large enough to permit free passage of the child's torso and head.
The bed must bear a label identifying the manufacturer, distributor or seller, the model number and the date of manufacture.
A label, warning against placing children younger than 6 years old on the upper bunk and specifying mattress size, must be attached to the bed. It must also appear in instructions that accompany the bed.
If you buy a used bunk bed, be sure to check whether it meets the requirements.

Safety tips

Don't allow children younger than 6 to use the upper bunk.
Install guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk.
Don't allow children to roughhouse on or under the beds.
Don't allow more than one child on the upper bunk.
Keep bunks far away from ceiling fans or ceiling fixtures.
Insist that your children use the ladder for entering or leaving the upper bunk.
Use a night light or give your child a flashlight to enable him to see the ladder if he needs to get up during the night.

Register with the CPSC to make sure you receive product recall alerts to stay current on the latest news. If the product you purchase comes with a registration card, it is highly recommended you register it.