Freestanding Range Tip-Over
Spot it
A freestanding range (the kind with finished sides that sits between cabinets) with no anti-tip bracket behind it — and an oven door a child can open and climb on.
Fix it
Anti-tip brackets have been required on new ranges since 1991, but CPSC notes they need a special installation that homeowners and installers sometimes skip. Check yours: your manual shows where the bracket goes, and an installer can confirm it is there. If it is missing, add the bracket made for your model.
Safer swaps
What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.
Don't let kids climb on the open oven door or load it with heavy potsHabit
Free; a heavy open door is what an unanchored range can tip on (our reading — not on the cited CPSC page)
Check your range's manual for the bracket and confirm it is installedHabit
Free; CPSC says installation is the step that gets skipped
Anti-tip bracket kit made for your range model
Use the manufacturer-approved part
Appliance installer to fit or verify the bracketService
If you can't see or reach the bracket yourself
No shopping list for this hazard — the fix is a habit, not a purchase.
Sources cited
Sources
- CPSC staff knew of 38 range-tipover deaths from 1980 through 2008; 20 of them (53%) were children aged 1 to 5 — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (incl. SaferProducts.gov), 2011 (how we check this source)
Every source we cite is checked against our criteria first — see how we check our sources.