UPDATE 1-IKEA recalls 36 mln chests and dressers after six deaths

(Adds IKEA comment)
WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - Swedish furniture company
IKEA Group IKEA.UL is recalling almost 36 million chests and
dressers in the United States and Canada but said the products
linked to the deaths of six children are safe when anchored to
walls as instructed.
The recall covers six models of MALM chests or dressers
manufactured from 2002 to 2016 and about 100 other families of
chests or dressers that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission said could topple over if not anchored securely to
walls, posing a threat to children.
"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 on Tuesday.
Tipped-over furniture or television sets kill a U.S. child
every two weeks, he added.
IKEA said that the recall was based on a standard applicable
in North America for free-standing clothing storage units and
that the products meet all mandatory stability requirements in
Europe and other parts of the world.
"When attached to a wall the products are safe. We have had
no other issues with that in any other country," said Kajsa
Johansson, a spokeswoman for IKEA in Sweden.
IKEA said it had no details on potential costs stemming from
the recall.
A recall summary from the company said that the chests and
dressers are unstable if not properly anchored to a wall, posing
a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that could result in
death or injury to children.
Two U.S. toddlers died in separate 2014 incidents when MALM
chests fell on them. A 22-month-old boy was killed last year in
a similar incident, which occurred after IKEA had announced a
repair programme including a free wall-anchoring kit.
None of the furnishings in the fatal incidents had been
anchored to a wall.
IKEA 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 models of chests and dressers.
About 6.6 million are being recalled in Canada.
Ikea has sold approximately 147.4 million chests of drawers
globally since 1998.