8 Bunk Bed Safety Rules that Prevent Injuries

To prevent injuries when using bunk beds, don’t allow little children to use a bunk bed, permit only one person to use the top bunk, don’t allow any items to be hung on the bed, reiterate your safety rules to guests, make sure there are guardrails on the upper bunk, ensure the guardrails can keep the mattress in place, get a mattress that is the right size for the bunks, and make sure the ladder is sturdy.

If you have a room in the house with limited floor space, bunk beds could be a great option. However, this type of bed also accounts for several injuries if safety measures are not enforced. If you sleep in a bunk bed or if you are a parent with children using this furniture, you may want to consider these following safety tips to lower the risk of bunk bed-related injuries.

Don’t allow little children to use a bunk bed

Children who are below six years old should not be allowed to use a bunk bed. If you have a set in one room of the house, don’t leave children unattended in that room, as they may climb up or play on the bunks. Most bunk-bed related accidents result from falling and half of these accidents are suffered by kids below five years old.

Only one person should use the top bunk

Unless your bunk bed has a double bed for the upper bunk, only allow one person to sleep on it at a time. Single bunks are not designed to support the weight of two people so don’t put yourself or your kids at risk of having the upper bunk collapse.

Don’t allow any items to be hung on the bed

It might be tempting to hang items like belts, toys, hooks, jump ropes, bags and other things to parts of the bunk, but doing this could increase the risk of strangulation accidents. Strictly tell your kids to place their stuff in the appropriate place and not hang those anywhere on the bed.

Reiterate your safety rules to guests

Strictly enforce the bunk bed safety rules you set. If your kids are having some friends sleep over, tell them the rules and remind them to follow them at all times.

Make sure there are guardrails on the upper bunk

The upper bunk of the bed is the riskiest part. One important safety measure for the top bunk is to make sure that there are guardrails on all its sides. An opening between the guardrails for connecting the ladder should only be 15 inches at the most.

Make sure the guardrails can keep the mattress in place

The guardrails should be sturdy enough to keep the mattress in place and should be more than 5 inches higher than the surface of the mattress.

Get a mattress that is the right size for the bunks

One of the standard and basic rules of using a bunk bed is to use only a mattress that is the right size for it. Don’t use a mattress that is too small because it could easily move out of place. On the other hand, the bed’s guardrails will not be able to support a mattress that is too big.

Make sure the ladder is sturdy

The ladder should be sturdy enough to support the weight of your child and should not be obstructed with clothes, toys and other items.

Bunk beds are an effective space-saving solution for a room, but owners of this furniture should be responsible for the way it is used.