warning worth repeating

[janahartzell]

I know everyone here knows how important it is to use hydrolic hinges on the lids of chests but....I just had to write this. This weekend my neighbor's 2 year old granddaughter was knocked unconcious and suffocated. I'm writing this to ask you to think about your families, friends, neighbors, babysitters,,,that have chests in their homes and remind them to have hydrolic hinges on them. I realized myself after this accident that I have an antique steamer trunk in my basement. I now have an excuse to get rid of the junk stored in it and the trunk can go on the slabwood pile for all I care. Jana

[dnoyeB]

Sorry to hear that. With this in mind Ill be sure to add one to the cedar chest in our basement when I reattach the lid.

[brianlanning]

As a father of 8 (one is 3, two are infants), this kind of stuff scares the daylights out of me. In addition to the slow-close hinges, the bottom of the trunk or chest needs to have holes or some other way for air to circulate. Maybe it's a good idea for the lid to have stand-offs or something to keep a 1/2" gap between the box and the lid at all times.

brian

[janahartzell]

I realize having the lid unattached would keep a child from being locked inside only if the child intentionally crawled in it but I think you should put "fixing" it with the hinges on your list. I wasn't completely clear in my discription. I believe Chelsey's head was caught in the lid so she would have technically been strangled. I guess, as a mother, the word suffocation is possibly less gut wrenching to write rather than strangled....I just think having enough hinges on them so you actually have to push the lid down to close it (and it should never lock) would be the best solution. I also like Brian's ideas of the air holes. I just mainly wrote this because if something like this has to happen, a lesson should come from it.

[George]

The top is for adults. I wouldn't bother with one for the purpose of holding toys out of the middle of the floor. Pneumatics, hydraulics and springs fail as well. Is the sight of those toys so disturbing that you'd risk a kid? Not me. Add a lid after the kid's grown or use a temporary table top that stores behind if you need the thing as furniture.

[AAvK]

Jana THANKS for sharing. Friend of mine just built a very large Mahogany blanket chest for a friend family of his, intents to line it with aromatic ceder. It's got this huge heavy lid on a free flowing piano hinge that could no doubt kill a kid! ... or a little toddler.

I will relay your message to him.

[brianlanning]

I meant blanket chests and the like.

brian

[Scott Lurndal]

You mean the lesson about leaving 2 year old children unattended?

scott

[Scott Lurndal]

Man, how did humanity ever survive 15 centuries of chests with locking lids?

scott

[J T]

Tue, Jan 31, 2006, 9:52am (EST-3) [e-mail] doth advise us all: I know everyone here knows how important it is to use hydrolic hinges on the lids of chests

I certainly don't know that. What I DO know is that it seems like there's quite a bit that's not been said.

Why was a 2 yo unsupervised?

Why was the top open? And, why did it fall? Why wasn't the chest locked in the first place? Why wasn't an adult around in the first place? I'd never have let my grandkid out of my sight at that age.

I've long stated that I don't believe in tops for toy boxes/chests for little kids. Actually, untill they get to maybe 9 or 10 - old enough to not climb in one. I also believe they should NOT have a latch on them. In any event, with a top on any toy box, there should be an air gap, or holes. You got one kid, with a top, kid climbs in, shuts the lid, no prob - IF the lid dos not have a latch, and the box can allow air in. Kids do that, no biggie. However, there is always the chance the kid is gonna drop the top on their head, or hands - if it's a light top, no big deal, the kid probably will only do that once. You got two kids, one is gonna bang the other's head, and/or hands, with the top, and if one climbs in, the other is gonna sit on the lid. And, if it's got a latchl, the kid outside is as apt as not to walk away. Whan the kid gets old enough to get over all that, "then" you can put a lid on, so it can be used as a seat.

I've got a military footlocker. The kind with the metal reinforced corners, and a heavy lid. I've had it since long before my sons were born. They were not allowed to play with it - not that it was kept around where they played. I sincerely doubt they would have been able to get it open anyway, but it they could have, it certainly had a lid heavy enough to seriously hurt them.

I've found out that if you talk to a kid, and tell them they'll get hurt by playing with something, they'll usually listen; not just tell them "no".

So, again, why was a kid so young unsupervised enough that something like that would happen?

JOAT Shhh... that's the sound of nobody caring what you think.

[janahartzell]

being taken care of by an aunt. An accident like this would only take minutes. I understand what you are saying. I've lived on a lake and now have an indoor swimming pool. Needless to say, I'm a paranoid freak about watching kids but no one has eyes in the back of their head. Even tho I taught my kids to swim and explained what drowning is, I still had extra locks on the doors, fences, alarms, and padlocks for their life jackets. A two year old doesn't understand what death is so they can't understand the severity your warnings. As for you, I've seen your website. Are all of the locks out of the doors and trunks of the junkers in your back yard? >

[janahartzell]

Scott, there's something seriously wrong with you posting remarks like this regarding a subject like this. grow up.

[Searcher]

WOW,

Reading this has made me think, I made a blanket chest for my wife a year ago, the lid is recessed. So, if that lid were to drop on my son's hand it surely would be able to break somethingif not worse. Which I dare not think! I am on my way to the store for something that will protect him. He is 4 and I seriously doubt that he could even lift the lid since it is recessed, but nonetheless I am going to "fix" this possible situation. As well as check the toy box in his room. Some things that seem so inocculous really do much harm.

THanks for the warning

Searcher Jrs. DAD

[Guess who]

There is something seriously wrong with you posting such news without reference. This would definitely have hit the newspaper or the radio/TV. Can you give a reference please; either newspaper, radio station, or TV station that carried this story? I've looked around, but could see nothing as yet.

I made a toy box for my granddaughter some time back, and it has slow-closing hinges. So the message is a good one. I simply like to see references when such tales are spread.

[todd]

I'm guessing you have no children. Because if you do and you're telling me prior to the age of 3 they have *never* been out of sight of an adult, I'm telling you I don't buy it.

todd

[todd]

The same way we survived without antibiotics and cars without seatbelts and vaccinations and ... well you get the picture. We survived by people having

5 children because 2 of them were going to die from one thing or another prior to childbearing age.

todd

[Doug Miller]

Some didn't, which ist he point here.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

All mom had to do was go pee and the kid could get into trouble. Happens under the best of circumstances. Thee are many other scenarios with a 2yo for getting into a bad situation in seconds. I hope it never happens to your kids.

[Odinn]

On 1/31/2006 12:52 PM [e-mail] mumbled something about the following:

I guess I should take away all the toys and remove all the furniture from my house before letting my grandkids in? Hell, they can get hurt on almost anything, run into the coffee table, climb on it and fall off, climb on the couch and fall onto the coffee table, fall off the bed, run into a wall, close a door on their hand. Ah hell, might as well get rid of the house so they can't get hurt by the house. Ooops, I better get rid of the trees too so that a branch doesn't accidently fall on them.

You know, I think it would a LOT easier if I just watch them.

[Pop]

: : You mean the lesson about leaving 2 year old children unattended? : : scott

Scott, you are the epitomy of rude, crude bad taste and may you burn in hell for your intentional and purposeful ignorance. It takes all kinds to make the world whirl 'round, but we could do without your kind. You are supremely stupid and impotent.