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MALM Day 12, July 8, 2016
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Ikea Says It Will Accept Returns of Unsafe Drawers in China Days After Saying ‘No’ to Recall
Jul 8, 2016 | Yicai Global
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Ikea recalls dangerous drawers in China
Jul 8, 2016 | gbtimes
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IKEA vows to fix or recall dangerous dressers in China
Jul 8, 2016 | Sina
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Ikea chests, dressers recalled over tipping risk
| East Valley News
By Gilbert Water Tower
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Top-heavy furniture poses threat to small children
Jul 7, 2016 | Gainesville Times
By Kristen Oliver
Friday, July 8, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
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Ikea Says It Will Accept Returns of Unsafe Drawers in China Days After Saying ‘No’ to Recall
Jul 8, 2016 | Yicai Global
Ikea China has said it will accept returns of a popular chest of drawers if they cannot be safely secured after cases in the US where the products tipped over causing child fatalities. Earlier this week, Ikea China said it did not plan to recall the products.
Ikea China is offering free installation for its best-selling Malm chests of drawers and “if the walls at your home are not suitable for fitting the chest, Ikea will accept returns,” a notice to Chinese customers reads.
Ikea China has bowed to pressure from concerned Chinese consumers over safety. The Swedish furniture retailer told the press this week that its decision not to recall the problematic drawers did not constitute discrimination against Chinese consumers. It also has not recalled the items in the UK and Australia. Ikea says they are safe as long as they are fixed to a wall.
In the notice, Ikea China wrote: “You are kindly requested to attach the chest of drawers securely to the wall using the fittings accompanying the product. If any of the fittings are missing or you have any doubts about them, please call Ikea's service hotline, and we will be happy to provide and install the fittings free of charge on request at your home. If the walls at your home are not suitable for fitting the chest, Ikea will accept returns.”
Ikea said on June 29 that it would recall 29 million Malm series drawers as required by US regulators. Before that at least six children were killed and others injured when the products tipped over. Ikea will also recall 6.6 million in Canada.
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Ikea recalls dangerous drawers in China
Jul 8, 2016 | gbtimes
The Swedish furniture giant Ikea is recalling dangerous furniture from China after its previous refusal to do so prompted criticism among Chinese consumers.
Ikea recalled more than 35 million chests and dressers from the North American market after six children were crushed to death by its toppling chests of drawers, which are prone to fall over when not anchored to the wall.
Despite its action in the North America, Ikea initially refused to recall the hazardous pieces of furniture from the MALM line, insisting that they were up to China’s standards and had caused no injuries in the country, Beijing Youth Dailyreported.
It soon came under criticism for its policy, with 69 percent of respondents in a survey accusing it of prejudice against Chinese consumers.
On Wednesday, Ikea announced that it would help Chinese customers anchor furniture for free or offer them a full refund if the furniture couldn’t be anchored.
The New York Times reports that China is Ikea's fastest-growing market, with sales in the country reaching US$1.55bn.
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IKEA vows to fix or recall dangerous dressers in China
Jul 8, 2016 | Sina
Swedish furniture maker IKEA has decided to fix or recall a line of dressers after the company came under fire for excluding China from its massive recall plan.
IKEA said it would help attach the chests to walls free of charge, or customers could return the product if they wanted.
A staff member at IKEA also said that if the wall was not load bearing, then the chest of drawers couldn't be attached and should be returned, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
The recall was launched after six children in the United States and Canada lost their lives in incidents associated with the dresser, marketed mainly under the Malm brand and also sold in China.
IKEA previously refused to recall the products in China, saying that the furniture met Chinese standards and there had been no reported accidents with it.
The furniture maker's revised move came about after Chinese media outlets, including state news agency Xinhua, joined online outcry over the different treatment of the Chinese market.
IKEA's annul sale figures in China reached 10.5 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) in 2015, about one third of global sales, while the annual growth in China from 2010 to 2015 was 5.1 timers higher than the global pace.
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Ikea chests, dressers recalled over tipping risk
| East Valley News
By Gilbert Water Tower
Ikea has announced a recall of chests and dressers that may tip over if they are not anchored to a wall. There have been several reports of child injuries and deaths due to the furniture units.
Consumers should stop using any recalled chests and dressers that are not anchored. Ikea will offer either a refund or a wall-anchoring repair kit.
All chests and dressers manufactured between January 2002 and June 2016 are being recalled. This covers about 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million additional pieces in the U.S.
Customers should call Ikea at 866-856-4532 or go online to ikea-usa.com/recallchestsanddressers.
Ikea has one location in the East Valley, at 2110 W. Ikea Way in Tempe.
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Top-heavy furniture poses threat to small children
Jul 7, 2016 | Gainesville Times
By Kristen Oliver
Safe Kids suggestions for avoiding tip-over hazards
• Mount television on the wall
• Place heaviest items in lowest drawers
• Install child-proof stops on drawers
• Anchor any tall chest of drawer or heavy dresser to the wall through a stud
Child safety experts across the continent are reminding parents of a deadly hazard to children that might exist at home.
An IKEA furniture recall following the deaths of several children trapped under fallen chests and dressers has triggered reminders to families of common tip-over hazards and the importance of securing tall furniture.
IKEA voluntarily recalled MALM children’s chests and dressers taller than 23.5 inches and adult chests and dressers taller than 29.5 inches that do not meet the performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard. This includes the 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer and 6-drawer models sold through June 2016.
The company asked customers to immediately stop using any recalled chest or dresser that is not properly anchored to the wall and placed in an area not accessible to children.
Kim Martin, coordinator for Safe Kids Gainesville-Hall County, said there haven’t been many tip-over injuries in North Georgia, but it has been a big problem nationally.
“Usually, there’s a TV on top of the furniture,” Martin said. “So the kids open the drawers and climb up the piece of furniture to adjust the TV, video game system, whatever. If it’s not anchored to the wall, it’s top-heavy, especially when you pull open those drawers. Then you’ve got a toddler climbing to get to the top, and it will come over on them.”
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, an average 13,000 children in the U.S. are injured each year from tipping furniture, and, on average, one child dies every three weeks from the hazard.
The organization has safety tips to avoid this, including mounting televisions on the wall, placing heaviest items in the lowest drawers and installing child-proof stops on drawers.
Martin said any tall chest of drawer or heavy dresser should be anchored to the wall through a stud. She said it’s important the anchoring system is used through a stud, because anchoring through sheetrock “is not going to prevent anything.”
“You can get those anchoring systems at any Home Depot, Lowe’s, or home improvement store,” she said. “They also make a special kind of anchor for the TVs, and those can be found at Best Buy or electronics stores.”
According to the Associated Press, on July 22, 2015, IKEA announced a repair program that included a free wall-anchoring kit.
But two fatalities involving these MALM chests and dressers occurred before the announcement of the repair program. In February 2014, a 2-year-old boy in 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 a 3-drawer MALM chest tipped over and trapped him.
Another child died in February of this year, when a MALM 6-drawer chest fell on top of a 22-month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minn.
The AP reported IKEA received reports of 41 tip-over incidents, resulting in 17 injuries to children.
Between the U.S. and Canada, more than 14 million of these chests and dressers were sold.
For more information on how to receive a refund or free wall-anchoring kit through the IKEA repair program, call 866-856-4532 or visit www.IKEA-USA.com/recallchestsanddressers. For more information from Safe Kids, go to www.safekids.org.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
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