Front-load washing machines and dryers are extremely popular these days. However, many parents don't realize what a danger they are for young children.
Front-load machines can quickly become death traps for inquisitive children. The doors lock, trapping children inside. Since 2014, an estimated 3,000 children under the age of 5 have been rushed to the emergency room for injuries associated with front-loading washing machines, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Just last weekend, tragedy struck a family in Orlando, Florida when a 3-year-old boy died after climbing inside a front-loading washing machine.
Parents can take steps to prevent such tragedies.