Preview Newsletter
IKEA Recall
-
Following an Additional Child Fatality, IKEA Recalls 29 Million MALM and Other Models of Chests and Dressers Due to Serious Tip-Over Hazard; Consumers Urged to Anchor Chests and Dressers or Return for Refund
Jun 28, 2016 | CPSC
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. -
Ikea to halt sale of deadly dressers, offer refunds to millions
Jun 28, 2016 | Philly.com
By Tricia L. Nadolny
After the deaths of three toddlers, Ikea has agreed to immediately stop selling dressers that too easily tip over, and to offer full refunds to millions of customers who bought them. -
Ikea Recalls Malm Line of Dressers Blamed in 3 Toddlers' Deaths
Jun 28, 2016 | NBC New York
The recall applies to tens of millions of Malm products, according to a report. -
Ikea Recalls 29 Million Dressers and Chests After 6 Children Crushed to Death
Jun 28, 2016 | ABC News
By David Kerley, Erin Dooley, Daniel Steinberger
At least six children have been crushed to death by toppling Ikea chests, prompting the voluntary recall of about 29 million chests and dressers sold by the popular retailer, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. -
IKEA Will Stop Selling Malm Dresser, Recall 29M Units
Jun 28, 2016 | The Consumerist
By Laura Northrup
IKEA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are taking an unusual and perhaps unprecedented step, recalling tens of millions of top-heavy Malm dressers and chests. While IKEA offered repair kits and wall anchors to customers, the message clearly wasn’t getting out that have been they have been recalled in the United States.
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
CPSC
Traditional Media
Full Text
-
Jun 28, 2016 | CPSC
Recall SummaryName of product:
Children’s and adult chests and dressers
Hazard:
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.
Consumer Contact:
IKEA toll-free at 866-856-4532 anytime or online atwww.IKEA-USA.com/recallchestsanddressers orwww.IKEA-USA.com and click on Product Recall for more information on how to receive a refund or free wall-anchoring repair kit.
Recall Details:Units
About 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million additional children’s and adult chests and dressers in the U.S. (In addition, 6.6 million were sold in Canada)Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with IKEA North America, of Conshohocken, Pa., is announcing the recall of all chests and dressers that do not comply with the performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard (ASTM F2057-14). The recalled children’s chests and dressers are taller than 23.5 inches and adult chests and dressers are taller than 29.5 inches. The 29 million units of recalled chests and dressers include: MALM 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer and three 6-drawer models and other children’s and adult chests and 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 serious injuries to children.
On July 22, 2015, CPSC and IKEA announced a repair program for the chests and dressers that included a free wall-anchoring repair kit for the MALM chests and dressers and other IKEA chests and dressers. Two tragic fatalities involving MALM chests and dressers occurred prior to the announcement of the repair program:
● In February 2014, a 2-year-old boy from West Chester, Pa. died after a 6-drawer
MALM chest tipped over and fatally pinned him against his bed.
● In June 2014, a 23-month-old boy from Snohomish, Wash. died after he became
trapped beneath a 3-drawer MALM chest that tipped over.
Subsequent to the July 2015 announcement, CPSC and IKEA learned of additional tip-over incidents, including a February 2016 incident in which a 22-month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minn. died when a MALM 6-drawer chest fell on top of him.
None of the chests or dressers in the above-listed incidents had been anchored to the wall. In addition to the three deaths, IKEA received reports of 41 tip-over incidents involving the MALM chests and dressers, resulting in 17 injuries to children between the ages of 19 months and 10 years old.
The MALM chests and dressers are constructed of particleboard or fiberboard and are white, birch (veneer), medium brown, black-brown, white stained oak (veneer), oak (veneer), pink, turquoise, grey, grey-turquoise, lilac, green, brown stained ash (veneer), and black. A 5-digit supplier number, 4-digit date stamp, IKEA logo, country of origin and “MALM” are printed on the underside of the top panel or inside the side panel.
Since 1996, IKEA chests and dressers have been labeled to identify IKEA, the model name and the manufacturing date.
The recalled MALM chests were sold from 2002 through June 2016 for between $70 and $200.
RECALLED MALM CHESTS AND DRESSERS
MALM 3
10/2002 to 6/2016
31½” x 18⅞” x 30¾”
MALM 4
6/2002 to 6/2016
31½” x 18⅞” x 39½”
MALM 5
10/2002 to 4/2006
157/8” x 19” x 481/4"
MALM 6
6/2002 to 6/2016
31½” x 18⅞” x 48⅜”
MALM 6 LONG
11/2002 to 6/2016
63” x 18⅞” x 30¾”
MALM 6
4/2006 to 6/2016
153/4” x 191/8” x 483/8"
IKEA also received 41 reports of tip-overs involving chests and dressers other than MALMs, resulting in the deaths of three children and 19 injuries to children:
In July 1989, a 20-month-old girl from Mt. Vernon, Va. died after an unanchored GUTE 4-drawer chest tipped over and pinned her against the footboard of a youth bed.In March 2002, a 2½-year-old boy from Cranford, N.J. died after an unanchored RAKKE 5-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned him to the floor. In October 2007, a 3-year-old girl from Chula Vista, Calif. died after a KURS 3-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned her to the floor. It is unknown as to whether the dresser was anchored or not.
3-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned her to the floor. It is unknown as to whether the dresser was anchored or not.
OTHER RECALLED CHESTS AND DRESSERS
Most of the non-MALM chests and dressers included in this recall are listed on the IKEA website at www.IKEA-USA.com/recallchestsanddressers.
Since 1996, IKEA chests and dressers have been labeled to identify IKEA, the model name and the manufacturing date.
CPSC and IKEA are urging consumers to inspect their recalled IKEA chests and dressers to ensure that they are properly anchored to the wall. Chests and dressers should be properly anchored to the wall whether or not they meet the ASTM standard. Consumers should move any unanchored chests and dressers into storage or other areas where they cannot be accessed by children until the chests and dressers are properly anchored to the wall or removed from the home.
To receive a refund or free wall-anchoring kit for IKEA chests and dressers listed above, visit an IKEA retail store, go to www.IKEA-USA.com/recallchestsanddressers , or call 866-856-4532 anytime.
A child dies every two weeks and a child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or TVs tipping over, according to CPSC data.
Consumers should immediately stop using any recalled chest and dresser that is not properly anchored to the wall and place it into an area that children cannot access. Contact IKEA for a choice between two options: refund or a free wall-anchoring repair kit.
Consumers are entitled to a full refund for chests and dressers manufactured between January 2002 and June 2016. Consumers with chests and dressers manufactured prior to January 2002 will be eligible for a partial store credit.
Consumers can order a free wall-anchoring repair kit. Consumers can install the kit themselves or IKEA will provide a one-time, free in-home installation service, upon request. Consumers can reorder the kits throughout the life of their chest and dresser.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.
-
Ikea to halt sale of deadly dressers, offer refunds to millions
Jun 28, 2016 | Philly.com
By Tricia L. Nadolny
After the deaths of three toddlers, Ikea has agreed to immediately stop selling dressers that too easily tip over, and to offer full refunds to millions of customers who bought them.
The recall applies to 29 million dressers, some sold more than a decade ago, including the company's popular, low-cost Malm line. By Monday, Ikea's website no longer carried the Malm models blamed in the deaths, which fail industry stability tests.
Details of the agreement, which a federal agency source briefed on the matter called "unprecedented," are scheduled to be made public Tuesday.
Hours after the Inquirer first reported the news Monday afternoon, Ikea USA president Lars Petersson confirmed the recall in an interview with NBC News, saying consumers who own the affected dressers should "please take them out" of any rooms accessible to children.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission declined to comment on the recall.
The action follows increased scrutiny of Ikea, including a series of Inquirer stories and criticism by safety advocates of the company's response after the deadly accidents. It also marks a stark turn for the Swedish retailing giant, which tried last year to address the issue by reminding consumers to attach their dressers to the wall and offering free anchoring kits.
But the company did not agree to redesign the products to meet industry safety standards, and it did not offer refunds or replacements. Safety advocates at the time called the response inadequate.
Then, in February, a 22-month-old in Minnesota was found beneath a toppled Malm dresser. Ted McGee became the third boy to die in a Malm tip-over in less than two years.
The first was 2-year-old Curren Collas of West Chester, whose 2014 death was chronicled in an Inquirer story about the trend of dangerous tip-overs. Dozens of people die each year and tens of thousands are injured by unstable dressers and televisions that are not properly anchored, hospital data show.
Through their lawyers, McGee's parents said that they never heard about Ikea's public safety campaign last year, rekindling safety advocates' claims that it had been ineffective.
The advocates renewed the demand for a wider recall. Elliot F. Kaye, the CPSC chairman, promised more action was coming. Earlier this year, he said his agency would take Ikea to court if the company did not agree to a more robust recall.
Meanwhile, members of Congress, including Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D., Pa.), joined the chorus.
On Monday, Casey said he was heartened by the new action, but would keep pressing for the passage of legislation he introduced this month that would force dresser manufacturers to meet a mandatory stability standard, not the current voluntary one.
"While this is a positive development, this battle is by no means over," Casey said in a statement. "The facts are clear: Far too many children are exposed to unsafe furniture that can easily tip over."
Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and senior counsel for the Consumer Federation of America, called the planned recall "incredibly significant."
"This will save lives," she said. "And unfortunately, three children that we know of have died as a result of these dressers tipping on them. But I think these actions will prevent other families from enduring a tragedy like those families have endured and continue to endure."
Alan Feldman, a Center City attorney representing the families of the three children, said he was aware of the recall but declined to comment, saying he had agreed to not do so until the recall was announced.
The federal source, who works for the commission but was not authorized to publicly discuss the plan, said the new recall applies to all 27 million units included in Ikea's first "repair program" - nine million of them from the Malm line - as well as new products.
Full refunds will be offered in most cases, but for very old products the company could instead provide a store credit, according to the source. For consumers who want to keep the products, Ikea will send repair crews directly to consumers' homes to tether the dressers to the wall.
Where and how consumers can get refunds is expected to be released Tuesday.
"It's truly remarkable," said the commission source. "A scope that we haven't seen from the agency. It's total capitulation by Ikea."
-
Ikea Recalls Malm Line of Dressers Blamed in 3 Toddlers' Deaths
Jun 28, 2016 | NBC New York
Ikea will recall a line of chests and dressers after the deaths of three toddlers in two years, the company confirmed Monday.
The company will offer full refunds or store credit to anyone who ever bought one of its MALM line dressers, and it will also stop selling them, Philly.com reported. The company told NBC News Monday night that it was issuing a recall.
"We are announcing this recall today given the recent tragic death of a third child. It is clear that there are still unsecured products in customers homes, and we believe that taking further action is the right thing to do," Ikea representative Christina Kaiser said in a statement Monday.
The recall will extend to millions of dressers, according to Philly.com, some of which were bought more than 10 years ago. The recall applies to the 27 million products addressed by a 2015 repair program, plus additional units.
kea has confirmed the deaths of three toddlers since 2014 after the furniture maker's Malm dressers tipped over and crushed them — a 2-year-old Pennsylvania boy, a 23-month-old Washington state child and a 22-month-old Minnesota boy. It has also said it received more than a dozen reports of incidents, four of which resulted in injury — and both the furniture maker and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have acknowledged the dressers are dangerous if not properly anchored to a wall.
Last year, Ikea announced a repair program that offered a free kit to help secure the dressers to the wall. The kit included tip-over restraints, wall anchoring hardware and warning labels to be attached to the furniture. It has distributed 300,000 already, according to a news release.
The recall agreement was expected to be officially announced Tuesday by Ikea and the CPSC, Philly.com reported, citing a source from a federal agency. The CPSC did not comment.
Ikea told NBC News it was no longer selling Malm chests and drawers, and urged families who already own one to anchor them to a wall.
"If they're not, please take them out of a room that children can access because it could be a danger, and make sure that you contact Ikea to (have) a free repair kit sent to your home," Ikea USA president Lars Peterson said.
-
Ikea Recalls 29 Million Dressers and Chests After 6 Children Crushed to Death
Jun 28, 2016 | ABC News
By David Kerley, Erin Dooley, Daniel Steinberger
At least six children have been crushed to death by toppling Ikea chests, prompting the voluntary recall of about 29 million chests and dressers sold by the popular retailer, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
“Enough is enough,” CPSC chairman Elliot Kaye told ABC News’ David Kerley. “These are inherently very dangerous and unstable products if children are around them.”
Ikea and the CPSC tell ABC that at least 36 children have been injured by Ikea chests and dressers, which are prone to tip over when they aren’t anchored to the wall. The deaths -- all children under the age of 4 -- date back to 1989 and are as recent as this February, the CPSC said.
The company is offering a refund or repair kit for affected dressers, including the MALM and other styles, the CPSC said. Further details were not immediately available. Furniture manufactured between 2002 and 2016 will entitle customers to a full refund; consumers can receive a partial store credit for items manufactured before 2002.
Upon request, the company will send a crew to install the wall anchor for customers who don’t want to do it themselves, the CPSC said. In the meantime, the CPSC is encouraging consumers to store the dresser where children won’t have access to it. At least four of the deaths were the result of unanchored chests.
Jaquelyn Collas, of Pennsylvania, found her 2-year-old son pinned between his bed and an Ikea MALM dresser in February 2014, she told ABC News.
“I couldn't tell if there was a heartbeat, you know I was so afraid,” she recalled.
Despite her attempt at CPR, the toddler was pronounced dead a few hours later, she said.
Collas is suing Ikea, claiming the company failed to warn consumers that the “front-heavy” dressers were potentially dangerous, according to the amended complaint, filed in May 2015.
"I didn't know to anchor my furniture and, in my mind, I feel that we really shouldn't have to,” Collas said. “Get rid of it, it’s dangerous, it’s a really dangerous product.”
“You turn your back for a second and that furniture goes over and it can be deadly,” Kaye echoed. “If it is not anchored, it's not safe.”
In its answer to Collas' suit, Ikea denied any allegations of manufacturing defect or inadequate warning.
"Defendants expressly deny any alleged negligence and carelessness, failure with regard to inadequate warnings or instructions, and the allegation that the dresser was improperly designed, improperly manufactured, defective, unreasonably dangerous or unsafe."
In a statement regarding the voluntary recall, Ikea said that "a child in the US dies every two weeks from furniture, appliances, or TVs tipping over," stressing that it instituted a repair kit program last year "to communicate the importance of wall attachment, which resulted in the distribution of 300,000 kits to consumers who had not used their original hardware."
"Since then, we have been in close contact with the CPSC to evaluate the success of the repair program and the impact it is having on consumers’ actions. We are announcing this recall today given the recent tragic death of a third child," the statement said, referring to the number of children killed by MALM dressers. Three other children have been killed by other-style IKEA chests.
"It is clear that there are still unsecured products in customers’ homes, and we believe that taking further action is the right thing to do," Ikea continued in the statement. "We will continue to work collaboratively with the CPSC on tip-over prevention, development of the ASTM standard, and innovations that will enhance product safety and further reduce the risk of tip-overs."
-
IKEA Will Stop Selling Malm Dresser, Recall 29M Units
Jun 28, 2016 | The Consumerist
By Laura Northrup
IKEA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are taking an unusual and perhaps unprecedented step, recalling tens of millions of top-heavy Malm dressers and chests. While IKEA offered repair kits and wall anchors to customers, the message clearly wasn’t getting out that have been they have been recalled in the United States.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, which has followed the story since a local boy died in 2014, first reported on Monday night that according to a source in the federal government, the CPSC and IKEA planned to announce a full recall of all Malm dressers sold in the United States, as well as a number of dresser and chest models that aren’t in the Malm model family, but that don’t meet the not-tipping-over performance standard. The dressers are considered a hazard, having been linked to injuries and even the deaths of three small children.
This might seem like an unusual problem, but it turns out that toppling furniture injures tens of thousands of people in the United States every year. The Malm dresser and chest have been subject to a “repair” program where the retailer sent out wall anchors to customers, but clearly the message about the anchor program isn’t getting out to families, or this wouldn’t keep happening.
IKEA now includes anchoring the piece of furniture to the wall as the last step in its assembly instructions, but it’s apparently not catching on. Families may have missed the notice, may have ignored it because they don’t have small children in their homes right now, or may not have installed the anchors because they’re renters.
The Inquirer’s source reports that the company will offer a refund or store credit for all dressers –– more than 27 million sold in the United States as of 11 months ago –– and stop selling the model. It has already been removed from the website. If customers like their dressers and want to keep them, the retailer will send a repair crew out to ensure that the piece is anchored to the wall.
UPDATE: IKEA sent us a statement about the recall.
We believe that chests and dressers are safest when attached to the wall. Last year, we launched a repair kit program to communicate the importance of wall attachment, which resulted in the distribution of 300,000 kits to consumers who had not used their original hardware.
Since then, we have been in close contact with the CPSC to evaluate the success of the repair program and the impact it is having on consumers’ actions. We are announcing this recall today given the recent tragic death of a third child. It is clear that there are still unsecured products in customers’ homes, and we believe that taking further action is the right thing to do.
We will continue to work collaboratively with the CPSC on tip-over prevention, development of the ASTM standard, and innovations that will enhance product safety and further reduce the risk of tip-overs.
Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel
CPSC
Traditional Media
Full Text
Add recipients
Suggested