The recall was issued after yet another death was reported. In February, a 22 month-old boy from Minnesota named Theodore “Ted” McGee died after tipping a MALM dresser on himself when his parents thought he was sleeping.
Last year, IKEA reported two deaths and started offering free wall-anchoring kits, but continued to manufacture and sell the dressers. The problem is that most people do not bolt their dressers to the wall.
For this reason, the American furniture industry has adopted voluntary design standards to prevent tip-over accidents. IKEA furniture does not meet these standards and fails even the most basic stability tests.
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Lawsuits have been filed by the families of several children who died. An attorney representing one family said:
When you are familiar with how a product is used, when you have intimate and actual knowledge that tip-overs of your furniture can easily occur and have occurred dozens of times, you can only stick your head in the sand for so long.”
One child dies every two weeks in tip-over accidents involving furniture, TVs, or appliances, according to a warning from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)
Deaths linked to IKEA furniture tip-over accidents:
- February 2016 — 22 month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minnesota died under a MALM dresser
- June 2014 — 23 month-old boy from Snohomish,Washington died under a MALM 3-drawer chest
- February 2014 — 2 year-old boy from West Chester, Pennsylvania died under a MALM 6-drawer chest
- October 2007 — 3 year-old girl from Chula Vista, California died under a KURS 3-drawer chest
- March 2002 — 2-1/2 year-old boy from Cranford, New Jersey died under a RAKKE 5-drawer chest
- July 1989 — 20 month-old girl from Mount Vernon, Washington died under a GUTE 4-drawer chest
Ikea MALM Dresser Recall
Source: Reuters