Heavy Duty Pine Bunk Beds and Bed Frames in Stock, Made in the UK
Bunk Bed Safety
So, are bunk beds safe?
Here our sleep specialist, Andy, answers some frequently asked bunk bed safety questions and provides some helpful tips on buying the best bunk for your child’s bedroom.
What Age Are Bunk Beds Suitable For?
Current guidelines recommend that the UPPER/TOP bunk is not suitable for children under the age of six, this is due to risk of injury from falls. You may also consider placing a lamp or clip light to further improve bunk bed safety, so that the ladder can be illuminated at night and youngsters can climb down safely. While the bottom bunk is safe for younger children, babies and toddlers should sleep in their own separate cot.
Do bunk beds have to be fixed to a wall?
This depends on the location, everyones room is different. The bunk bed is free standing, however bunk beds are top heavy so can move due to an uneven floor or being pulled forward when climbing a ladder. This is not a design fault but the nature of a top heavy bed, especially a high sleeper or loft bunkbed. On such occasions we supply brackets, you can attach to the wall or to the skirting board. This simply holds the bed in place. This condition is not specific to Strictly Beds and Bunks but applied to all bunk bed
Its all about safety, best practices – what to tell your child
It’s a good idea to set some rules with your children about bunk bed safety. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), most accidents involving bunk beds occur when children are playing on them. It’s fundamental that you teach your child to follow some basic steps to ensure that he or she stays safe at all times.
Don’t let your child treat a bunk bed like a climbing frame
Although a bunk bed is a fun alternative to a regular bed, children should be discouraged from playing on the ladder and from leaning from the top bunk. A bunk bed ladder blocker can provide additional security to maximise bunk bed safety. Children should also use the ladder every time they want to come down from the top bunk.Bunk beds with a ladder located at the end of the bed can pose a slightly higher risk. Please educate the child not to roll or play due to a risk of falling through the ladder access.
Allow only one child on the top bunk
While a bunk bed is a novelty for children, it’s important that they learn that only one person can be on the top bunk at any time on a single bunk bed. We have strengthened the double bunk beds so can take two people per bunk. To children to adhere to this rule, maybe tell them that the person on the top bunk is the King or Queen of the castle and that it is forbidden for any other person to go up onto the top bunk to join Her or His Majesty. It worked for me!
How High Should Bunk Bed Rails Be?
As well as ladder and rail spacing, it is also important to look at rail heights to ensure your child is not able to roll out of bed. All bunk beds should have rails that are at least 16 cm taller than the mattress. Our bunk beds accept a thicker 20cm mattress and confirms to this standard.
What Are the British Safety Standards for Bunk Beds?
Bunk beds that are sold in the UK must conform to the current safety regulations (British Safety Standard number BS EN 747:2015A). They should be solid in construction and have no sharp edges or corners that may cause harm.It’s important that the mattress fits the bed securely, and that the slats underneath are no less than 7.5 cm apart. The upper bunk should have guard rails on both sides, with a gap of 300 mm to allow access. Although some do come with a bunk bed rail extension, these guidelines are what are generally accepted for optimum safety.
The regulations on bunk bed rail height are strict about gaps in the construction, to ensure that a child can’t get stuck or slip between the rail and the mattress. The access ladder should be firmly fixed to the bed and the treads should be at least 3 cm wide and 20 cm apart.
What About Bunk Bed Mattress Thickness?
Most bunk beds on the market can only accept a 15cm thick mattress, ours have been designed to accept a thicker 20cm mattress. Why compromise, this means you cab have a thicker mattress and still remain within the safety guidelines
Follow instructions for assembling
When your bunk bed arrives, it’s important that you assemble the frame correctly. Carefully follow the instructions step by step to ensure that you build a safe and secure bunk bed. Always keep a copy for future reference.
