WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - Swedish furniture retailer
IKEA Group IKEA.UL is recalling almost 36 million chests and
dressers in the United States and Canada that have been linked
to the deaths of six children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission said on Tuesday.
The furnishings can topple over if they are not anchored
securely to walls, posing a threat to children, the commission
said in a statement.
The recall covers six models of MALM chests or dressers
manufactured from 2002 to 2016, as well as about 100 other
families of chests or dressers, it said.
"It is simply too dangerous to have the recalled furniture
in your home unanchored, especially if you have young children,"
CPSC Chairman Elliott Kaye said in a statement.
Tipped-over furniture or television sets kill a U.S. child
every two weeks, he said.
Two U.S. toddlers died in separate 2014 incidents when MALM
chests fell over on them. A 22-month-old boy was killed last
year in a similar incident, after IKEA had announced a repair
program included a free wall-anchoring kit.
None of the furnishings in the fatal incidents had been
anchored to the wall.
IKEA also had received reports of 41 tip-over incidents
involving non-MALM chests that caused 19 injuries and the deaths
of three children from 1989 to 2007.
As part of the recall, IKEA is offering refunds or a free
wall-anchoring kit.
The U.S. recall covers about 8 million MALM chests and
dressers and 21 million other model chests and dressers. About
6.6 million are being recalled in Canada.