Anthony Joseph Putman, a young boy from Massachusetts in the United States, died from head injuries after being hit by a Murphy bed that suddenly opened.
“[…] “Young Anthony Joseph was playing in the living room. At approximately 4:30 p.m., the child grabbed the vertical handles of the fold-down bed and since the cushions were no longer in place on the sofa, while pulling on them, the bed suddenly opened and hit him heavily on the head,” the coroner explained in his report.
The coroner concluded that the spring mechanisms that held the bed closed had low strength and that no locking or restraint system was in place.
“This situation made it easier to open the bed and, when it was opened about 12 centimeters, allowed for a sudden opening and rapid acceleration toward the floor. There appeared to be adjustments to the tension on the 4-spring mechanisms, but it is clear that the tension was inadequate to ensure the safety of users. […]” says Me Nicole.
The coroner noted in his report that a few days after the accident, the Valcarter Hotel quickly improved the safety of each of its 123 Murphy beds by adding a safety notice and a restraint device preventing the bed from suddenly opening and falling heavily to the floor when force is exerted on the opening handles, measures “effective in ensuring the safety of users and protecting human life.”
“I would like to congratulate the Hôtel Valcartier for its proactivity and its speed in acting to ensure the safety of its customers,” wrote coroner Nicole.
Recommendations
The coroner is now recommending that Matelas Dauphin and the manufacturer Meubles BOFF contact customers who have purchased a Murphy bed without a locking device and inform them of the risk of unexpected opening or closing.
It also gives 12 months to install and supply a suitable locking system.
Coroner Donald Nicole also recommends that Health Canada, among other things, remove from the market all Murphy beds that are not manufactured to ISO 10131 and that are not equipped with a device to prevent accidental opening or closing.
Finally, the coroner recommends that the Quebec Hotel Association and those in the Quebec and Montreal regions inform all their members of the risks that can be posed by Murphy beds that are not equipped with a locking or restraint system preventing them from opening or closing unexpectedly.
In collaboration with Caroline Dumont, Noovo Info.
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