Furniture suppliers are now required to provide safety warnings to consumers about the dangers of toppling furniture after the mandatory information standard for toppling furniture came into effect on 4 May 2025.
Since the year 2000 at least 28 people, including 17 children under five, have died in Australia from toppling furniture and televisions.
Each year more than 900 Australians suffer injuries requiring medical assistance from toppling furniture. Children aged up to four years are most at risk, with older Australians also vulnerable.
"A mandatory information standard is a critical step towards reducing the injuries and deaths involving toppling furniture," ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
"The impact of furniture tip-over can be tragic, with young children and the elderly most at risk. The information standard raises awareness about the risk of furniture tip-over and empowers consumers with the knowledge they need to safeguard their homes."
The new information standard applies to chests of drawers, wardrobes, bookcases, hall tables, display cabinets, buffets and sideboards with a height of 686mm or more, and entertainment units of any height.
If not properly secured, tall or unstable furniture can topple over when young children attempt to climb on them or pull themselves up. Elderly people with reduced strength or mobility are also at greater risk because they are more likely to rely on furniture for support and are more likely to suffer severe injury if furniture tips over.
The information standard requires suppliers to:
- provide warnings about the hazards of toppling furniture in stores and online
- include safety information and advice about anchoring furniture in manuals and assembly instructions.
"Suppliers must meet these requirements, and the ACCC will be working with state-based consumer agencies to monitor compliance and take enforcement action if appropriate," Ms Lowe said.
"Suppliers face serious penalties for non-compliance, with penalties up to $50 million for businesses and $2.5 million for individuals."
Following a recommendation by the ACCC, the toppling furniture information standard was made by the Assistant Treasurer on 13 April 2024 and registered on 3 May 2024. Suppliers have had a 12-month transition period to implement the new information and labelling requirements.
Consumer advice
When you're out shopping, use these tips to help you pick safer furniture:
- Look for required warning labels displayed in store, online and on the 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.
- Look for low-set furniture, or furniture with a sturdy, stable and broad base. It's less likely to tip over.
The best way to prevent furniture from tipping over is to secure it to the wall or floor with an anchoring device.
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, you can ask about anchors and buy what you need from a furniture retailer, hardware store or a specialty retailer selling baby and toddler products.
As well as securing your furniture and TVs, here are some things you can do to use furniture safely:
- Place furniture on a flat and stable surface.
- Keep your heaviest items at the bottom of your drawers or shelves. Furniture that is top-heavy is easier to tip over.
- Don't 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.
Information for suppliers
From 4 May 2025, furniture suppliers must comply with the requirements of the mandatory information standard. The ACCC published supplier guidance to assist suppliers in complying with the mandatory standard.
Supplying a product that fails to comply with the information standard is a contravention of the Australian Consumer Law and may expose a business or individual to potential enforcement action by the ACCC.
The maximum financial penalties for businesses are the greatest of:
- $50,000,000;
- three times the value of the "reasonably attributable" benefit obtained from the conduct, if the court can determine this; or
- if a court cannot determine the benefit, 30 per cent of adjusted turnover during the breach period.
- The maximum financial penalty for individuals is $2,500,000.
