Parents on both sides of the ditch are being warned to secure their furniture after a toddler was killed by a falling cabinet.
Victorian toddler Blake Shaw was three years old when he died, and now his parents are warning others to keep an eye on their furniture, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
According to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) research, at least 22 children under the age of nine have been killed by falling furniture since 2001.
New Zealand children have also been injured by falling furniture, with 84 children admitted to Starship Children's Hospital due to injuries caused by falling objects between January 2010 and April 2015.
They want Blake to be one of the last - and along with child safety foundation Kidsafe, have published a video of him and his parents warning others of the danger of unsecured furniture.
"Currently in Australia there's one to two children who die every year and a further 50 are admitted to hospital from toppling furniture, so it's a huge issue," Kidsafe Victoria CEO Melanie Courtney told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"If the furniture's not secured and if it's not stable furniture, it doesn't take much for that to topple."
Ms Courtney said it's important any loose furniture is secured and parents should make sure furniture at friends' and grandparents' houses is also secure.
According to the ACCC, it's best to buy low-set, heavy furniture with a wide base, and to look for anchor sets to affix items to walls.
Newshub.
