Swedish-based furnishing retailer IKEA announced a massive recall of 29 million dressers that reportedly tip over when not anchored to a wall, resulting in the deaths of three children.
IKEA now offers a full refund for the price of the dressers, a plan not available when the company announced a repair program last summer. The Wall Street Journal reports that IKEA is aware of 41 incidents where unanchored dressers tipped over. A total of three children have died, and 17 people were injured in incidents related to the dresser.
“It is simply too dangerous to have the recalled furniture in your home unanchored, especially if you have young children,” CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye said in a statement.
IKEA and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a full recall of the dressers Tuesday, offering consumers a choice between returning the unit to an IKEA store for a full or partial refund, or receiving a free wall anchoring kit. IKEA can send someone to pick up the recalled dressers upon request “as part of the agreement with CPSC,” according to an announcement.
IKEA and CPSC announced in July 2015 what they called a “recall,” but was more of a repair program that offered free wall anchoring kits. Two children died from toppled dressers in 2014, along with several injuries. When another child’s death was linked to tipping furniture last February, CPSC stepped in again to work with IKEA on further recalls.
“IKEA has worked cooperatively with the CPSC on this comprehensive and necessary recall,” Kaye said. “I fully expect all furniture companies to do the same. Those failing to do so should pay close attention to the details of this recall, as they should expect to be hearing from us.”
CPSC officials say according to their research, “a child dies every two weeks and a child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or TVs tipping over.”
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