Ikea continues urging attachment or return of dressers
Tipping furniture comes with wall attachments, but eight have died in 28 years
Ikea reiterated its concern and recall of 29 million chests and dressers Tuesday.
The last child, the eighth, died in May.
CEO Lars Petersson said Ikea wants to increase awareness of the recall campaign for several types of chest and dressers sold in the United States and Canada, that can easily tip over if not properly anchored to a wall.
Ikea said the recalled products are sold with instructions that they had to be attached to walls.
The death of a California toddler, who was found trapped underneath an Ikea Malm dresser in May, has raised questions among some about whether Ikea has effectively spread the word about the recall, which was first announced in June 2016. The Swedish retailer and U.S. federal safety regulators are asking customers to take immediate action to secure the dressers, or to return them.
Petersson said Ikea has had an “extensive communication” campaign through social media, its website and television and print ads. The company emailed 13 million people about the recall two months ago, he said.
Still, he said heightening awareness of the recall is necessary “because we think that it’s so important to reach as many people as possible.”
Acting U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission chair Ann Marie Buerkle said that people who own the furniture can take care of any potential hazards by contacting Ikea.
The recall, which applies only to customers in the U.S. and Canada, is for children’s chests and drawers taller than 23.5 inches and adult chests and dressers taller than 29.5 inches. Customers should contact Ikea for a free wallmounting kit. The company is also offering to send crews to attach them in the home.
Ikea is offering full refunds for anyone who no longer wants the furniture. Customers can bring them to a store, or Ikea will pick them up.
At least eight children under the age of three have been killed when an Ikea dresser fell on them, according to the commission. The first death occurred 28 years ago and the others occurred after 2002.
The latest death was Jozef Dudek, 2, of Buena Park, Calif. The toddler had been put down for a nap when his father went in to check on him and found him under the dresser, according to details released by lawyers retained by the family.