Electronics expert: Not all consumers taking proper safety measures

Sep 22, 2018 | 12:33 PM

KAMLOOPS — Be safe and use the things we have to keep us safer.

That’s the message from Danielle Byrd, manager at Andre’s Electronics in Kamloops.

The issue of household safety came up earlier this month after a 21 month old Kamloops boy was killed when a tube television set fell on top of him.

She urges safety even when it comes to flat screen televisions, which in general are a lot lighter than older model tube televisions.

“TV’s these days aren’t as heavy as they used to be. So, they’re going to be 40-50 pounds, depending on the size. But when we go up to a 75 or 82 inch, we can get up to about 80 pounds,” she says. “Still heavy enough that we want to make sure they’re really secure.”

Byrd says it’s concerning to note that many people don’t take the proper safety precautions when installing flat screen TV’s.

“I don’t think a lot of people do. I think a lot of people put them on stands, there’s not really a way with the flat screen technology to secure that. So, wall mounting is really something that I would recommend with a TV if it’s feasible. Making sure that we’re always using the studs on the walls is very important as well.”

She says if you have the proper tools to mount your TV great, but if not, use a certified installer.

Byrd says people can take other precautions to ensure their household items are safe, like using a bracket that locks when buying a TV.

“So it actually locks the TV on the bracket so it’ll keep members of the household safe. So it can’t be pulled off but also keeps it safe if somebody breaks into your house, they wouldn’t be able to steal it because it would be locked there.”

When purchasing speakers, she also recommends buying the correct shielded wire that’s coded to go into the walls for fire safety.

Byrd suggests parents should also buy parental locks with the appropriate age restrictions when buying phones, tablets and computers for their kids.