Suppliers non-compliant on toppling furniture
Most furniture suppliers are failing to comply with new mandatory information rules that warn customers of the dangers of furniture tipping over, Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced this week. So what can households do, to keep their children safe?
The ACCC and state and territory consumer protection agencies recently examined over 3,000 furniture products at more than 160 businesses.
Of those businesses, an astonishing 90 per cent were non-compliant with the mandatory toppling furniture information standard in relation to one or more of their products and more than half were non-compliant in relation to all products examined.
Toppling furniture has killed at least 28 people in Australia since 2000 and causes nearly 20 injuries every week. The mandatory information standard, which came into effect on 4 May 2025, aims to reduce accidents and deaths due to furniture tipping over.
It requires toppling furniture safety warnings to be provided to consumers online and in-store at point of sale, on products purchased by consumers, and in instructions that accompany products.
According to ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe, unsecured furniture items like bookcases and cabinets can unexpectedly tip over causing severe injury or death.
“It can happen when a child climbs or pulls on open drawers or when an elderly person uses furniture for support”, Lowe said, adding that young children and older Australians are at greatest risk of injury.
“We undertook surveillance, in partnership with state and territory consumer protection agencies, which included visiting stores around the country and online, to raise awareness of the importance of compliance with the new mandatory information standard.
“We are concerned about the low levels of compliance. It is critical that businesses include warnings and safety information on toppling furniture.”
The sweep found 90 per cent of furniture suppliers had one or more products which failed to include mandatory warnings.
About 52 per cent were fully non-compliant, meaning all toppling furniture products inspected had either no warning information displayed or had incorrect or incomplete information.
Only 10 per cent of businesses were assessed as fully compliant with the mandatory information standard requirements.
Given this situation, what can consumers do to ensure a safe environment in their homes? The ACCC offers the following tips about shopping for new furniture:
- Examine the furniture to make sure it is stable.
- Pull out any top drawers of a chest of drawers or open doors on other furniture items and apply a little pressure to see how stable the furniture is.
- Make sure the drawers don’t fall out easily.
- Look for built-in drawer stops that limit how far drawers can be extended or interlocks that prevent more than one drawer being opened at a time.
- Look for furniture with sturdy backing material which increases stability.
- Look for low-set furniture, or furniture with a sturdy, stable and broad base. It’s less likely to tip over.
The Commission also suggests that the best way to prevent furniture from tipping over is to secure it to the wall or floor. 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, ask about anchors and buy what you need from a furniture retailer, hardware store or a specialty store for baby goods.
As well as securing your furniture and TVs, here are some things you can do to use furniture safely:
- Keep heaviest items at the bottom of your drawers or shelves. Furniture that is top-heavy is easier to tip over.
- Do not place heavy items such as TVs or items that are attractive to children on top of furniture.
- Put locking devices on all drawers. They help prevent children from opening them and using them as steps.