Toppling furniture and televisions

Heavy household items like televisions, bookshelves and drawers can topple (tip) over if they’re not anchored to a wall.

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Protect yourself and your children from toppling furniture by securing unstable and heavy items in place.

Risks and injuries

Did you know? An estimated 2,600 Australians are injured by toppling furniture and televisions each year. 30 per cent of injuries required urgent medical attention.

Hundreds of children suffer injuries every year from furniture or TVs toppling over.

Toppling furniture can cause significant blunt impact injuries.

Safety requirements

Furniture comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and free-standing furniture can be a toppling hazard. If there is a chance a child will climb on it, there is a good chance that furniture could tip over.

A mandatory information standard for toppling furniture comes into effect on 4 May 2025.

The information standard requires suppliers to provide safety warnings and advice about how to reduce toppling furniture incidents to consumers before, during and after purchasing furniture.

For more information on the new standards, visit the Product Safety Australia website.

Standards Australia also developed:

AS/NZS 4935:2009 Domestic furniture - Freestanding chests of drawers, wardrobes and bookshelves/bookcases - Determination of stability
AS/NZS 60065:2018 Audio, video and similar electronic apparatus - Safety requirements.

Watch the safety video for useful information about how to anchor furniture and TVs.

Your consumer rights

As a consumer, you have the right to expect that the goods you buy are safe.

Australian Consumer Law requires safety standards to be met before certain goods are sold. These standards include:

the way the good is made
what it contains
how it works
the tests it needs to pass
whether any warnings or instructions need to accompany it.

Penalties

The penalty for individuals is $2.5 million.

The penalty for a body corporate is the greater of:

$50 million
if the Court can determine the value of the 'reasonably attributable' benefit obtained, 3 times that value, or
if the Court cannot determine the value of the 'reasonably attributable' benefit, 30% of the corporation's adjusted turnover during the breach turnover period for the contravention.

Be a savvy consumer

Prevent toppling furniture accidents

Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye:

secure TVs and any tall furniture in the home to walls with anchoring devices
purchase low-set furniture or furniture with sturdy stable and deep bases
install child-resistant drawer locks to prevent drawers from being opened and climbed on
do not use TV cabinets with drawers immediately under the TV. The likelihood of furniture overturning increases when a loaded drawer is opened
do not place the remote control (or other items attractive to children) on top of the TV where they may try to reach them.

Advice for tenants

If you’re renting a home, talk to your landlord or agent to get permission to install a furniture strap, angle brace or anchor to the wall. Explain why you want to install the device and assure them that if any damage is caused by the installation, you will repair it when the tenancy ends. Make sure you get the landlord or agent’s approval in writing. Go to the make an alteration page on our website for more information.

How to report a product safety concern

"If a child is injured or you require urgent medical assistance, don’t delay - contact your GP or call 000 immediately."

If you become aware of an unsafe situation or item, whether or not anyone has been injured alert the supplier about the issue.

Making a complaint

When making a complaint, you should include:

details of the issues you are experiencing
copies of any correspondence that shows how you have tried to resolve the matter.

How NSW Fair Trading will handle your complaint

Your complaint will be reviewed to determine the most appropriate resolution. This may include:

providing you with information to help resolve your complaint
recording the complaint issues to assist in future compliance programs, or
contacting the other party to try and resolve the dispute.

You can lodge a complaint:

Online

If you cannot resolve your matter, submit your complaint by using our form.

Make a complaint

By mail

Post your complaint form and documentation to:

NSW Fair Trading

PO Box 972

Parramatta NSW 2124

Ask a question

If you are unable to find the information you need, you can call us between 8:30am to 5pm on Monday to Friday. You can also use our form to make an enquiry.

Make an enquiry