The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced yesterday that IKEA is recalling 36 million chests and drawers after the furniture products were linked to the deaths of six children.
The recall covers six models of MALM chests or dressers manufactured from 2002 to 2016, as well as about 100 other families of chests or dressers.
The recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children.
Two U.S. toddlers died in separate 2014 incidents when MALM chests fell over on them. A 22-month-old boy was killed last year in a similar incident, after IKEA had announced a repair program included a free wall-anchoring kit. The CPSC did state that the chests/dressers are safe if anchored securely to a wall. None of the furnishings in the fatal incidents had been anchored to the wall.
IKEA also had received reports of 41 tip-over incidents involving non-MALM chests that caused 19 injuries and the deaths of three children from 1989 to 2007.
As part of the recall, IKEA is offering refunds or a free wall-anchoring kit.
The U.S. recall covers about 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million other model chests and dressers. About 6.6 million are being recalled in Canada.
For more information, you may call IKEA toll-free at 866-856-4532 anytime or online at www.IKEA-USA.com/recallchestsanddressers or www.IKEA-USA.com and click on Product Recall for more information on how to receive a refund or free wall-anchoring repair kit.
The hazards caused by the IKEA furniture represent a clear danger to consumers and should have never been allowed on the market. If the furniture had been tested properly for such safety concerns these tragic deaths could have been avoided in the first place.