With 8 Children Now Dead, Ikea Relaunches Dresser Recall

7 of the deaths occurred since 2002
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 21, 2017 9:55 AM CST
With 8 Children Now Dead, Ikea Relaunches Dresser Recall
This June 3, 2015, file photo shows an Ikea store in Miami.   (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

Ikea relaunched a recall of 29 million chests and dressers Tuesday after the death of an eighth child. The death of a California toddler, who was found trapped underneath an Ikea Malm dresser in May, has raised questions about whether Ikea has effectively spread the word about the recall, which was first announced in June 2016, reports the AP. The Swedish retailer and federal safety regulators are asking customers to take immediate action to secure the dressers or to return them. The recall, which applies only to customers in the US and Canada, is for children's chests and drawers taller than 23.5 inches and adult chests and dressers taller than 29.5 inches, which can easily tip over if not properly anchored to a wall.

Customers should contact Ikea for a free wall-mounting kit. The company is also offering to send crews to attach them in the home. CEO Lars Petersson says Ikea has had an "extensive communication" campaign through social media, its website, and TV and print ads, and it emailed 13 million people about the recall two months ago. Ikea is offering full refunds for anyone who no longer wants the furniture. Customers can bring items to a store, or Ikea will pick them up. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says at least eight children younger than 3 have been killed when an Ikea dresser fell on them. The first death occurred 28 years ago; the others occurred after 2002. The latest death was Jozef Dudek, 2, of Buena Park, Calif. The toddler had been put down for a nap when his father went in to check on him and found him under the dresser, per details released by family lawyers. (More Ikea stories.)

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