IKEA Issues Furniture Safety Warning Following Death Of Third Child

April 20th, 2016

Awake Goy

IKEA has repeated its safety warnings to customers after a third child was crushed to death by its popular Malm range of drawers and bedroom furniture.

The company first issued a warning back in July after two children were killed when drawers and wardrobes fell on them.

Wales Online reports:

The victims, aged two and 23 months, were killed when dressers purchased from the store fell on them, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said.

Now a third child has been killed in America after an accident involving a set of drawers from the range, the Manchester Evening News reported.

In the most recent tragedy, mum Janet McGee had put her 22-month-old son Ted down for a nap and was checking on him every 20 minutes, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

When she opened the door and found his empty bed, she assumed he was hiding – until she spotted the six-drawer dresser on the floor, on top of her son.

Although no tragedies have been reported in the UK, parents are being urged to make sure they use the fittings that come with the furniture to fix it to the wall.

Malm range of drawers

The warning

A spokesman for IKEA said: “We at IKEA offer our deepest condolences to the McGee family.

“At IKEA, we believe children are the most important people in the world and the safety of our products is our highest priority.

“Upon being informed of this incident IKEA US immediately reported it to the authorities and an investigation is taking place.

“IKEA US has been advised that the product was not attached to the wall, which is an integral part of the products’ assembly instructions.” Ikea

He added: “We wish to emphasise that the best way to prevent tip-over of chests of drawers is to attach products to the wall with the included restraints and hardware per the assembly instructions.

“IKEA has included restraints with our chest of drawers for decades, and wall attachment is an integral part of the assembly instructions.”

The warnings affect 27 million pieces, which cost between $46 and $179 in the US and £49 and £99 in the UK.

Previous accidents

They come after a two-year-old boy from Pennsylvania, in America, died in February 2014 when a Malm chest fell on him and pinned him to a bed.

Three months later, a 23-month-old child from Washington was killed in when a three-drawer Malm chest tipped over.

Anyone concerned about their furniture can contact IKEA on 0203 645 0010 to request a free restraint kit if the original one was disposed of.