Entertainment centers provide a great look for you room, but can also be dangerous. If you have younger children, you need to be cautious of the possibility of your TV tipping over. Teach your children that the entertainment center is not a playground and not intended to climb on. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that between 2000 and 2006, 134 tip-over-related deaths occurred for children five years old and younger.
Instructions
1. Unplug any wires you have attached to media devices such as satellite or cable boxes. This will eliminate the risk of tripping or breaking anything while securing the TV.
2. Move your entertainment center approximately one or two feet out from the wall. There will be more room to work with by moving the entertainment center.
3. Inspect the stand for any cracks or weak spots. Overall, the entertainment center should be sturdy when standing on its own with nothing on it. Avoid entertainment centers with flimsy shelves.
4. Pick the TV up and place it in its spot in the entertainment center. If you have a larger TV, you should have another person help you pick it up. Don't risk picking up the TV yourself if it's too heavy; you could cause injury to yourself, or damage to the TV.
5. Slide the TV as far back on the entertainment center as possible without pinching any wires or hitting the wall. Anchor the TV to the center. A lot of TVs offer an attachment accessory (usually a wire and bracket arrangement) that will allow you to strap the TV to the entertainment center to keep it in place.
6. Carefully move the entertainment center back to its original position. If you have carpeted floors, try sliding it versus picking it up off the ground. If you have hardwood floors, have one or two people help stabilize the TV while you pick up the entertainment center.
7. Plug in cables and wires to other media devices that you first unplugged. Make sure that all the wires are free and were not accidentally trapped under the entertainment center.
8. Keep remote controls and other items that could be tempting for children stowed out of sight, away from the entertainment center.
Tags: entertainment center, media devices