The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with IKEA North America, of Conshohocken, Pa, is announcing a repair program that includes a free wall anchoring kit, for their MALM 3- and 4-drawer chests and two styles of MALM 6- drawer chests, and other chests and dressers. The chests and dressers can pose a tip-over hazard if not securely anchored to the wall.
IKEA received reports of two children who died after MALM chests tipped over and fell on them. Consumers should immediately stop using all IKEA children’s chests and dressers taller than 23 ½ inches and adult chests and dressers taller than 29 ½ inches, unless they are securely anchored to the wall. The free wall anchoring kit should be used to secure MALM and other IKEA chests and dressers to the wall.
About 7 million MALM chests and 20 million other IKEA chests and dressers are part of the nationwide repair program.
CPSC and IKEA received a report that in February 2014, a 2-year-old boy from West Chester, Pa. died after a MALM 6-drawer chest (48 3/8 inches high) tipped over and fatally pinned him against his bed. CPSC and IKEA also received a report that in June 2014, a 23-month-old child from Snohomish, Wash. died after he became trapped beneath a 3-drawer (30 ¾ inches high) MALM chest that tipped over. Neither chest had been secured to the wall. IKEA and CPSC have also received 14 reports of tip-over incidents involving MALM chests, resulting in four injuries. Since 1989, IKEA is aware of three additional reports of deaths from tip-overs involving other models of IKEA chests and dressers.
IKEA is offering U.S. consumers a wall anchoring repair kit free of charge for use with the MALM chests, IKEA children’s chests and dressers taller than 23 ½ inches, and IKEA adult chests and dressers taller than 29 ½ inches. The kit contains replacement tip-over restraints for use by any consumer who has not secured their IKEA chest or dresser to the wall. The kit also includes complete wall anchoring hardware, instructions and warning labels to be affixed to the furniture.
CPSC and IKEA are urging consumers to inspect their IKEA chests and dressers to ensure that they are securely anchored to the wall. Consumers should move 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.
The MALM chests that are part of the repair program were sold starting in 2002. The price of the chests range from about $80 to $200.
To receive a free wall anchoring kit, visit an IKEA retail store, go to www.IKEA-USA.com/saferhomestogether, or call (888) 966-4532.
