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IKEA to repair millions of dressers following child deaths

IKEA is offering a free wall anchoring kit for dressers and chests that officials say can pose a tip-over hazard if not secured to a wall. A combined 27 million IKEA chests and dressers are part of the nationwide repair program. 

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Mark Lennihan/AP/File
Ikea signage at New York City's first Ikea store, in Brooklyn.
  • By Staff Associated Press

Federal authorities say IKEA is offering a free wall anchoring kit for dressers and chests that officials say can pose a tip-over hazard if not secured to a wall.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Ikea North America of Conshohocken on Wednesday announced the repair program for products including MALM 3- and 4-drawer chests and two styles of MALM 6-dresser chests.

A portion of the CSPC's release on the repairs is below:

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.

 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.

Consumers are urged not to use IKEA children's chests and drawers taller than 23½ inches and adult chests and drawers taller than 29½ inches unless they are securely anchored to the wall.

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