Are bunk beds safe?

When I was about 5 years old I remember waking up one night to the thud of my body hitting the floor. Since this was around 1973, I had the good fortune to land on a rather plush shag carpet. Other than my startlement I was unharmed. Since those carefree days - back when you took responsibility for your own actions and people didn't automatically think of who they could sue for their own carelessness - bunk bed safety has come a long way.

There are now ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) safety standards that most manufacturers abide by that go a long way to ensuring the safety of bunk beds. Some of the highlights of those standards are

• Guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk, except for up to 15 inches at each end of the bed.
• The upper edge of the guardrails shall be no less than 5 inches above the top surface of the mattress when a mattress of the maximum thickness specified by the bed manufacturer’s instructions is on the bed.
• Guardrails shall be attached so that they cannot be removed without either intentionally releasing a fastening device or applying forces sequentially in
  different directions.
• That openings in the structure surrounding the upper bunk be small enough to prevent passage of a tapered block having a base measuring 3.5 inches by 6.2 inches.
• That openings in the end structures and the FHSA rule addresses hazards associated with bunk beds intended for use by children.

What this means for the consumer is that any bed purchased from a manufacturer that follows the ASTM guidelines will have sturdily secured guard rails and the positioning of the guard rails is such that little heads are too big to get caught between them, thus avoiding strangulation, and little hands and feet are too small to get wedged between them, thus avoiding broken bones. Also, there is always enough guard rail available to prevent mishaps such as my fall from the top bunk.

So, if you're looking for a bunk bed that you can feel your child will be safe on, be sure to check if the bed is ASTM safety certified.

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