IKEA Issues Warning For Famous Malm Drawers After Death Of 2 Kids
The Malm chest of drawers is one of IKEA's best selling furniture.
By John Lim — 23 Jul 2015, 05:49 PM
The death of two children in the United States have forced IKEA, the multinational furniture company to withdraw one of its famous chest of drawers - the Malm
Back in February 2014, two-year-old Curren Collas died after a Malm six-drawer dresser fell on him and pinned him against his bed, which ultimately killed him
In February last year, two-year-old Curren Collas died after a MALM six-drawer chest tipped over and pinned him against his bed at his family's home in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The boy was climbing on the furniture when it fell, and his mother found her son when she went into his bedroom to get him for breakfast. A coroner ruled he died from compression of the chest.
In the same year, a 23-month-old toddler from Washington died after a three-drawer Malm tipped over and collapsed on him
A two-year-old boy from West Chester, Pennsylvania, died in February 2014 when a six-drawer Malm chest fell on him and pinned him to a bed, the statement said.
theguardian.com
Neither units were anchored to the walls although they came with anchoring kits
The Malm series chest of drawers is sold here in Malaysia as well. From the 'Good to know' section, it clearly states the dresser should be fixed to the wall with the anchoring tools provided.
Malm series chest of drawers is priced from RM179 to RM449.
According to Consumer Product Safety Comission (CPSC), one American child is killed every fortnightly from falling furniture
A child dies every two weeks and a child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or TVs tipping over, according to CPSC data.
cpsc.govWhile IKEA is calling this exercise a 'recall', consumers aren't supposed to return the furniture. Instead, they can pick up a free anchoring kit for faulty units
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with IKEA North America, of Conshohocken, Pa, is announcing a repair program that includes a free wall anchoring kit, for their MALM 3- and 4-drawer chests and two styles of MALM 6- drawer chests, and other chests and dressers. The chests and dressers can pose a tip-over hazard if not securely anchored to the wall.
cpsc.govThe repair program includes seven million Malm chests and around 20 million other pieces of Ikea furniture in the United States.
news.com.au
CPSC chairman Elliot Kaye also called on IKEA to make better and more stable furniture
"Today is a positive step, and I commend Ikea for taking that step," Kaye said. "But they need to do more and to make more stable furniture and they need to help lead industry."
usatoday.com