The furniture store said their MALM chests and dresses can tip over, posing a safety risk to young children.
Prompted by the death of a 2-year-old boy, IKEA issued a recall for 17.3 million of its MALM chests and dressers. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the toddler was trapped by the three-drawer dresser after it tipped over.
This is the second recall issued by the Scandinavian furniture retailer over its MALM dressers and chests. The recent advisory adjusts the number of dressers and chests from 29 million, as of June 2016, down to 17.3 million, as of November 2017, according to the CPSC.
The MALM dressers and chests, made of particleboard and fiberboard, were sold at IKEA stores throughout the U.S. and online at IKEA.com between January 2002 and June 2016 for $70 to $200. All 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer and three 6-drawer models and other non-MALM models are included in this recall.
The furniture store is urging consumers take the warning seriously and implement the necessary safety precautions to prevent any future injuries or deaths. IKEA compiled a complete list of all recalled chests and dressers, which can be found here.
The company said that it’s received 186 reports of MALM dressers tipping over, including 91 reports resulting in injuries to children. In all, eight children have died from injuries from recalled IKEA dressers since 1989.
In a pinned tweet, the CPSC wrote that they hope this recall, “reminds parents and caregivers to anchor furniture to the wall to prevent tip-overs.”
Consumers who purchased the recalled chests are eligible for a full refund and can return the chests to their local IKEA store or request a free pick-up. In addition, anchoring kits may also be requested at no cost and include free installation. To learn more about securing or returning your dresser, visit IKEA’s Safety Recall website.
