Bunk Bed Shopping - 10 Point Safety Checklist
To Protect Your Children
by S.A. Smith
Every year thousands of
children are admitted to hospital emergency rooms due to
incidents involving bunk beds involving improper use,
manufacturing, or set up. If your follow our 10 point
safety checklist, bunk beds can still be
a great bedding solution for your children:
Reputable manufacturer
Look for manufacturers that are established, and have a long
history of manufacturing bunk beds. A good manufacturer will
also stand behind their product by providing a lifetime
warranty.
ASTM and CPSC guidelines
Ask the retailer if it meets the voluntary safety guidelines
of the American Standards of Testing and Materials and the
minimum safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety
Commission. If it does, you'll know that the bed meets all
current and reasonable safety standards.
Strong frame construction
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Bunk Beds - Safety
Checklist When
Shopping
Kryssa Lighthall
Buying a bunk bed should not be
a “window shopping” type
purchase. You must do your
research before handing over
your credit card number to the
store. Be sure to shop many
different stores both online
and brick and mortar.
Just because Bunk Beds look
great doesn’t mean that they
will be safe and secure and
built with quality materials
and craftsmanship. After all,
it is our children that will be
sleeping and playing on them so
you need to educate yourself on
what to look for.
The first decision you need to
make is what type of bed you
want your children to have, a
bunk, loft, triple, twin, wood
or metal. Second is the safety
of the bunk bed. After you have
reached your bedding type then
consider the following safety
checklist when shopping:
• Find a dealer you can trust.
– Make sure they stand behind
their products and can answer
any questions regarding the
safety of the bed.
• Find out the weight limits on
the bunk bed you want to
purchase. Last thing you need
is to get the bunk bed home and
assembled to later find out
that the bunk can’t handle the
required weight.
• Find out if the bottom of the
bed frames has enough room for
a box spring mattress to go
under the child’s mattress or
if the beds have wooden
supports for the mattress to
sit on. Having a box spring
mattress provides more comfort
and support.
• Make sure that the bunk beds
have plenty of room on the
bottom bunk for the kids to sit
on comfortably. This will also
help keep the kids from always
playing on the top bunk where
it can be more dangerous.
• Look to see if the bunk beds
have a safety sticker outlining
the safety guidelines for the
bed.
• Make sure the bunk bed is
made of strong, quality
materials. You can shake the
bed to see if it is durable and
stable. Ask or look to see if
the bunk bed is made out of
solid wood or if it is made
using particle board. Particle
board isn’t as strong as solid
wood.
• Make sure the corners and
edges on the bunk bed are
smooth and rounded. Sharp or
blunt edges can serve up many
bumps and bruises.
• The ladder should be securely
attached and be wide enough for
your child to climb. The ladder
should also not be removable by
children. Also, make sure the
rungs on the ladder are
properly spaced; they should
not have to take a large step
up to step on the next
rung.
• Make sure the bunk beds have
guardrails all the way around
the bed and cannot be removed
by children. The guardrails
should have to be removed by
removing a fastener device or
some type of combination
pressure lifting.
Following these steps when
shopping for bunk beds will
help ensure your children’s
safety when playing or sleeping
in their new bunk bed. And it
will also give you a “peace of
mind” when making the
purchase.
About the Author :
Kryssa Lighthall is a writer
for
http://www.bunkbedsandplans.com.
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Bunk Beds
This
article is distributed by:
www.iSnare.com
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Examine and test the durability and strength of the bunk bed
frame. It should easily hold a parents weight - climb on it and
wiggle the frame a bit. A good bunk bed with remain firmly
grounded without movement or noise.
Only rounded edges
Check the entire bed construction for smoothness of
materials and fasteners. There should be no sharp edges or
protruding points anywhere in the construction.
Measure the safety rails
Safety rails should run on both sides of the top bunk, and
the lower rail should be no higher than 3 1/2 inches above the
top of the mattress height - any higher and your children could
slip underneath it. Also make sure the top rail is at least 5
inches above the mattress top to prevent your child from
rolling over the safety rails.
Ensure proper mattress fit
Strangulation deaths have occurred in the US when children
fall through openings between the mattress and the frame during
the night. Make sure the mattress opening snugly fits the
mattress without a lot adjustment room. If the mattress has a
gap greater than 3 inches from any side of the mattress to the
bed frame, headboard or footboard - it does not fit
properly.
Sturdy ladder construction
Make sure the ladder in well constructed and is firmly
attached and bolted to the bed frame. Test it out with your own
weight - if it moves around it is not safe.
Sturdy mattress support
A lot of injuries are caused by children in the lower bunks
pushing up on the underside of the top bunk and dislodging the
mattress or support frame. Ensure the top bunk has sturdy
mattress supports that are secured to the bed frame with bolts
or screws. You don't want a floating board support system, as
these will move around and can possibly fall through the
opening.
Repair and maintenance
Immediately replace or repair any loose or missing fasteners
on the bed. Periodically check the tightness of fasteners
holding the bed together, as well as the cross support rails
holding the upper mattress.
Safe use
Teach your children not to push up on the underside of the
bed, or to climb on it like a jungle gym. Proper safety is
important at all times, and you may wish to also use a night
light near the ladder so children can see the ladder steps in
the dark.
If you follow these basic tips then you should get years of
safe enjoyment out of your new bunk bed. For more bunk bed
resources and tips you can visit http://www.loft-beds-bunk-beds.com/bunk-beds.htm
S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, editor, and contributor to
the Loft Beds Bunk Beds resource site, and can be reached at
http://www.loft-beds-bunk-beds.com.
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