Bunk beds are a summer sleepover staple — but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that they come with serious, often overlooked hazards for young children. Since 1990, CPSC has received reports of 57 children who died as a result of entrapment in bunk beds. An estimated 10 children die every year from entrapment-related bunk bed incidents. The most common hazards include entrapment in openings, falls from the upper bunk, and strangulation from ropes, clothing, and corner post extensions.
How Do Bunk Bed Entrapments Happen?
Bunk bed entrapment occurs when a child’s body slides through an opening in the bed structure but their head becomes trapped, cutting off oxygen or causing strangulation. This can happen in several areas of a bunk bed:
- Space between guardrails and mattress: Some bunk beds have a space between the lower edge of the guardrail and the top surface of the mattress. A young child can slip through these small openings feet first when their weight presses the mattress down, causing their head to become caught between the guardrail and the depressed mattress. CPSC is aware of at least four deaths linked to this specific hazard.
- Entrapment between the bed and wall: Because bunk beds often lack a rail on the wall side, very young children can roll into the space between the bed and wall, becoming trapped.
- Corner post extensions and finials: Children’s clothing, drawstrings, or ropes can catch on decorative corner post extensions and finials on bunk beds, causing strangulation. From January 1990 through December 2002, CPSC received reports of 47 incidents involving children hanging from bunk beds, with 15 of these being fatal.
- Angled ladders: The gap between a ladder step and the bed frame can widen if the ladder shifts, creating an entrapment and strangulation hazard. A 2-year-old boy in Columbus, Ohio died in May 2018 after becoming entrapped in a gap in a bunk bed ladder.
What the Federal Safety Standard Requires
Beginning in July 2000, all bunk beds manufactured or imported for sale in the United States must meet CPSC’s federal safety standard (16 CFR Parts 1213 and 1513). This standard requires:
- Any bed in which the underside of the foundation is over 30 inches from the floor must have guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk.
- Openings in the bed structure must not be of a size and shape that can entrap a child’s head and neck.
- Each bunk bed must carry a specific warning label about the hazards associated with the product.
Despite the mandatory standard, non-complying bunk beds continue to enter the market. CPSC has recently recalled Interior Resources children’s steel utility bunk beds due to spacing violations between the guardrail and end support that pose entrapment and strangulation hazards to children.
Safety Tips
- Do not allow children under 6 years of age to sleep in the upper bunk of a bunk bed.
- Make sure the bunk bed has guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk, and that there are no openings in the guardrail structure larger than 3.5 inches.
- Check that your bunk bed carries a label certifying it meets CPSC’s mandatory federal safety standard.
- Never attach ropes, cords, or other items to a bunk bed — these can cause strangulation.
- Make sure children sleeping in bunk beds do not wear clothing with drawstrings, which can catch on the bed structure.
- Teach children not to play on the upper bunk or use it as a jungle gym.
- Inspect your bunk bed regularly for loose hardware, broken slats, and gaps that may have developed over time.
To report an unsafe bunk bed or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270).
Source: https://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws–Standards/Voluntary-Standards/Topics/Bunk-Beds
