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IKEA has urged Australian customers to anchor a popular set of drawers to the wall, after the deaths of 3 children in the US were linked to the furniture.
The MALM chest of drawers, which is sold worldwide by IKEA, is the subject of a recall in the US after 3 toddlers were crushed.
IKEA says the recall – which affects MALM chests and dressers manufactured and sold through June 2016 – does not affect Australia and the product is safe when customers use the supplied wall anchors.
But the mother of one of the children who died said she had no idea the dresser could be anchored to the wall. Curren Collas was only 2 years old when his mother, Jackie, went in to his room to see the six-drawer dresser on the ground and no sign of her toddler.
‘I didn’t see him anywhere, so I went over and kind of pulled everything apart,’ she told NBC News, as reported by Daily Mail. ‘I saw the little top of his head trapped between the dresser’ and the bed.
Camden Ellis, two years old, and Ted McGee, 22 months old, also died when unsecured MALM dressers tipped over.
Keep your kids safe
In Australia roughly one child under 14 dies per year from injuries after furniture has fallen on top of them, with hundreds more children ending up in emergency for accidents to do with toppling furniture in the home.
– When buying furniture, consider sturdy, low-set units with broad bases.
– Where possible, attach the furniture to the walls or floors to minimise the risk of toppling.
– Test to see if the furniture is safe by pulling out the top drawer and applying a little pressure. Make sure the unit doesn’t tip, and the drawers don’t fall out easily.
– Use locking devices on drawers to prevent children from being able to use them as steps to climb furniture.
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