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Bunk Bed Safety
Home » Beds » Bunk Beds » Bunk Bed SafetyThousands of children suffer injuries on bunk beds each year. In most cases, the injuries are minor splinters, scratches, and bruises, but on occasion, children suffer broken bones, concussions, and even suffocation on bunk beds.
Before your children sleep in a bunk bed, make sure that it is safe and secure. Ask the manufacturer and then test it yourself to determine the weight capacity of the beds. Climb the ladder and apply pressure to the guardrails to make sure both parts are strong. Examine the slats or crossties of the bed frame to make sure they properly support the mattress. Finally, make certain there are no wide gaps (more than three and a half inches) between the guardrails and the bed frame where children could trap their heads or limbs.
Children under six should always sleep in the lower bunk, but no matter how old your children are, make sure there are side guardrails on the upper bunk. Even if your children don’t normally roll in their sleep, they will occasionally, so use guardrails.
Teach your children how to properly use the bunk bed. Many of bunk bed-related injuries come during horseplay, so remind children not to jump on or from the bunk bed and to be careful using the ladder. The ladder is always the best way to climb into the top bunk, and you may want to put a night light near the ladder to help children climb up in the dark. Tell children not to stand on the top bunk, but you still shouldn’t put the bunk bed under a ceiling fan.
From time to time, inspect the bunk bed for wear and tear. Ask your children (or whoever sleeps on your bunk bed) if they have noticed any problems with it. With proper care, however, a bunk bed should last for years.
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