A few months ago Ikea launched an urgent alert about the danger that these drawers have for children if they are not anchored to the wall. Children can climb the chest of drawers and, due to its instability, knock it down, crushing them underneath.
The alert was not enough and to avoid more accidents, Ikea has decided to withdraw 35 million drawers in the United States and Canada (Malm and other models) after six children were crushed.
Six crush deaths
It has been reported by the Commission for the Safety of Consumer Products of the United States, which stated that the recall includes Six models of MALM dressers manufactured from 2002 to 2016, as well as another hundred of other types of dressers.
Between 2003 and 2014 there have been five deaths in the United States from this cause and the last one occurred in February this year, when a 22-month-old boy from Minnesota was crushed by a comfortable 6-drawer MALM. In addition, a few accidents have been recorded for the same reason.
In none of the six cases of death the drawers were fixed to the wall, which caused the children to climb them as if they were a ladder and due to their instability they fell on top of them with all their weight causing their death.
Ikea appeals to Americans and Canadians to Stop using "immediately" any chest of drawers or dresser that is not properly fixed and place it in an area that is not accessible to children.
Those who have bought them and want to return them are returned the money, and those who wish to keep them and do not have them secured to the wall, are offered a free anchor kit.
And in Spain?
Ikea has sold more than 147 million commodes in the world throughout its history, of which a high percentage, 78 million, belong to the Malm series.
In our country it is also one of the best selling products of the Swedish furniture brand (who does not have one in your home?), However Ikea will not remove the comfortable Malm in the market in Spain as reported to Facua - Consumers in Action. The company has informed that, although they continue to sell in Spain, those consumers who have purchased it and so wish, can return the product.
Ikea returns to "replicate the awareness protocol with messages in stores, on our website and offering additional security kits to those that already come in our products".
For our part, we We have contacted the Ikea press department to clarify their position and have told us the following:
As a context, IKEA United States has decided to withdraw the product (each country has its own requirements and circumstances, and has also launched, in collaboration with the CPSC (Commission for the Safety of Consumer Products) a campaign to raise awareness about the risk of overturning of furniture in the home and respecting the security measures in the assembly and anchoring that our products include.The initiative arises from several accidents that took place in this country in relation to comfortable Malm, in which cases the furniture had not been anchored to the wall
In Spain, the product will not be withdrawn but it has been decided to replicate the awareness protocol with messages in stores, on our website and offering additional security kits to those that already come in our products. And, as an additional point, by contacting our service providers to raise awareness about the security problem, with the aim of emphasizing customers on the need to secure the product to the wall.
It is not a problem of the product itself, but of the safety measures that must be taken with the use of furniture. For the company, boys and girls are the most important people in the world and the safety of our products is our top priority. Hence all measures aimed at raising awareness or ensuring safety in the use of furniture.
