How do I stack these appliances without serious risk of injury!

[manatbandq]

That might stop it sliding off but it won't stop it toplling over if someone hangs on the door.

MBQ

[Christian McArdle]

I really don't get this ridiculous "safety" attitude. I am a very safety conscious person. My kitchen has an 6kg ABC powder extinguisher and I've been on courses so know how to use it (and just as importantly when not). I have mains linked smoke alarms. I won't drive unless all passengers (including adults) wear their seatbelts. I don't even exceed the speed limit (well maybe occassionally on motorways by 10mph, but nowhere else).

However, the idea that people need protection from using kitchen appliances as playground equipment is just ridiculous. What next? Do we mandate pneumatically closed letter boxes in case someone nips their finger? Perhaps compulsory wearing of ear muffs when flushing the toilet to prevent hearing damage? Certainly, we must ban scissors, knives and razors right away.

Christian.

[manatbandq]

And I am the first to condemn it too.

The point I was making was that you shouldn't propose half-assed solutions that may give a false sense of security by only addressing one mechanism (in this case sliding).

MBQ

[Tim S]

This is ridiculous. I've done exactly what the OP wants to do and it works.

I didn't even araldite cups on as proposed. I just used grippy rubber feet.

Simply use some common sense. Would I do it again with small kids around - no, there is a higher probability that it would be used as a climbing frame. Well, I probably would, but I'd clamp the units together and put a small safety chain to the wall at the top.

Was I happy with the arrangement when there were no kids - yes. A fridge is surprisingly stable, even with an arse load of milk and juice in the door. As Christian says, there's a lot of weight low down at the back.

Tim

[manatbandq]

So my point stands. Don't propose half-assed solutions that may give a false sense of security. Do you know the OP doesn't have children around? Would you be happy for him to use your solution?

It's a general point, not confined to stacking fridges, which I admit is a poor example.

MBQ

[Tim S]

I don't know that he does. At the end of the day, it's up to him to make a judgement. No-one here is his nanny FFS. He asked a question, he got some answers - I expect him to, if he implements a "solution", to give it a poke and see if he's happy with it.

Well, if we follow this logic, statements such as "pop down to B&Q and get a widget" are equally irresponsible. We might have prompted him to go out on the very day a drunk decides to drive down the road, killing him. If we hadn't suggested he go out, he'd be alive, happily sitting at home.

You've got to draw the line somewhere and expect people to think for themselves. This is uk.d-i-y, not uk.advice-for-the-hard-of-thinking.

It might be because I've been to Latvia where walking across railway tracks is considered normal, and China where tourists routinely do things like walking over a scaffold plank over a 5' deep ditch some monks are digging next to their monastery, and if you don't fancy it, you don;t do it!

Reasonable and practicable safety is one thing, but the country is growing a over-zealous safety culture that is both non productive and stifling IMO.

Tim

[manatbandq]

If the widget only addressed half the solution to a safety issue and he was killed and injured by something it didn't protect him from then yes, it's irresponsible.

MBQ

[Christian McArdle]

Well, the OP stated that it was for a tiny room in a student hall. I have never seen a child in a student hall, certainly not unless it was designated family housing.

Christian.

[Tim S]

Of course it's silly - that was the entire point!

We will have to disagree on the merits of responsible advice - personally I expect anyone with half a brain to be able to judge the stability of a simple mechanical system. He can ask me how to make a fairly dangerous but cheap mains driven xenon flash rig out of assorted HV diodes, resistors and capacitors if he wants, and I'll happily tell him, and I'll tell him it's dangerous as hell, but I'll still tell him. His problem if he decides to build it.

It is *not* my job to patronise people to protect them from themselves - get quite enough of that at work, thank you very much.

Tim

[Andy Dingley]

Good. It'll teach them to get their own milk.

[Chris.Holland16]

spot on, beer, pizza, ready meals.. iceland stuff

I'd have to go through the hassle of selling what I have now... actually my fridge does have an icebox