Ikea is recalling 820,000 dressers at risk of tipping over and crushing small children, adding to the 17.3 million bureaus recalled by the furniture retail giant in 2016.
The new recall, announced Wednesday by Ikea and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is for the company's three-drawer Kullen dresser.
The CPSC urged those who own the Kullen dresser to immediately stop using it if it is not properly anchored to a wall. Consumers can order a wall anchoring kit from Ikea or return the dressers for a full refund, either by bringing them to the store or arranging a pickup by Ikea.
Ikea dressers have been linked to the deaths of at least nine children and dozens of injuries. Ikea said Wednesday that it has received six reports of tip-overs involving the three-drawer Kullen chests, including two involving minor injuries.
The announcement comes two months after Ikea agreed to pay $46 million to the parents of a California toddler who died in 2017 when one of the company's dressers tipped onto him. The family said it was unaware the dresser was recalled and, in their lawsuit, blamed Ikea for not doing more to raise awareness of the danger. The settlement was nearly three times the amount that Ikea paid to settle similar lawsuits in 2016 when $50 million was split among three families.
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Virtually all dressers have the potential to tip, but those recalled by Ikea are particularly hazardous because they don't meet the minimum standard for safe design. That standard, when met, ensures dressers remain upright when 50 pounds, meant to simulate the pull of a child, is hung on an extended drawer.
The safety standard is voluntary but embraced by many furniture makers. Ikea for years flooded the US market with furniture that did not comply. The company has said the recalled bureaus are only safe when attached to a wall, per the instructions.
Ikea on Wednesday said the three-drawer Kullen dresser does not meet the standard, which was updated in 2019 so it applies to all dressers 27 inches and taller. It previously applied to those more than 30 inches tall.
The Kullen dresser weighs about 45 pounds and is about 28.5 inches tall. Ikea said the dresser was sold from April 2005 to December 2019.
Given the long lifespan of furniture, safety advocates worry that millions of recalled Ikea dressers are still in use today.
Of the 17.3 million units recalled in 2016, 420,000 dressers have been returned to the store, Ikea U.S. corporate communications manager Tracey Kelly said in November. Kelly told USA TODAY that the company has provided an additional 1.05 million anchoring kits to consumers and that many more dressers were likely anchored at the time of purchase or have since been thrown out.
Unsecured furniture has been an intractable danger for decades.
A child dies, on average, once every two weeks when a piece of furniture, television or appliance falls forward on them, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 28,000 people are injured in tip-overs every year, more than half of them children.
I own an Ikea dresser. Now what?
Was my dresser part of the recall?
If you own a Malm dresser sold between 2002 and mid-2016, there is a good chance it was recalled. But there are more than 100 other lines of Ikea dressers included as well. A full list of products, along with steps for taking part in the recall, is available at www.ikea-usa.com/saferhomestogether.
I own a recalled dresser. Should I keep it or get rid of it?
If it is not anchored, first make sure it cannot be reached by children.
The recall allows people to keep or return the item, but safety advocates recommend that the dressers be removed from homes, because of the concern that they will not be anchored or they will later be used by someone unaware of the recall. Many of the recalled dressers can be returned for a full refund. Consumers can bring the dresser to the any Ikea retailer, or Ikea will come pick it up from your home, free of charge.
I want to keep my Ikea dresser. What are my options?
You should anchor it to the wall. You can request a free wall anchoring kit from Ikea and install it yourself, or Ikea will send someone to your home to attach it for you, free of charge.
Do I need a receipt to take part in the recall?
Typically a receipt is not required, but Ikea says that it can request a receipt based on the total number of dressers being returned by one customer.
Kullen 6 Drawer Ikea Atlanta Ga
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/03/04/ikea-recalls-kullen-dresser-over-danger-tip-onto-children/4950532002/
