Following related deaths of six children, IKEA recalled over 30 million chests and dressers in North America.
The recalled furniture failed to comply with safety standards of the United States, but as it turns out, they are acceptable under China’s terms. Chinese IKEA stores can continue selling the furniture without legal question. According to Shanghaiist, many expressed that the country’s standards are too low.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall for chests and dressers that “that do not comply with the performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard.” About 29 million chests and dressers are to be recalled in the U.S., while 6.6 million must be returned in Canada.
Customers will get a full refund for products made between January 2002 and June 2016, while items purchased before the complete refund window will get partial compensation.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter
A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.
Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.
Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.
The problem is that these chests and dressers become unstable when not properly anchored to the wall. The CPSC warned that such pose “a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children.”
If not a refund, customers have the option to repair the furniture and will be given free wall-anchoring repair kits, which can be installed by themselves or through IKEA personnel.
In a statement, CPSC Chairman Elliott Kaye stressed that tipped-over furniture or television sets kill an American child every two weeks, Reuters reported. IKEA has sold nearly 150 million chests since 1998.
While China appears lenient in the eyes of some, IKEA urges customers to inspect the anchor of its chests and dressers to walls — directions on how to use the restraints are provided on the packaging.
Parents are also encouraged to prevent children from climbing or hanging on drawers, doors and shelves. The company points, “Accidents can happen, especially when you have kids. But being prepared can stop the most serious accidents from happening.”
IKEA stores in Beijing recently made headlines as they’re found to let people take naps on their beds and sofas. Apparently, these folks are taking advantage of free air-conditioning, which relieves them from the worsening heatwave.
How do you feel about deadly furniture staying on the Chinese market?
