IKEA warning after third child killed by toppling chest of drawers

The Malta Competition and Consumers Affairs Authority has issued a safety warning after three children were crushed to death in the US.

The IKEA warning made headlines worldwide last month after a 22-month-old boy was found dead under a fallen Malm six-drawer unit at his Minnesota home in February.

In 2014, two other boys were killed in the separate incidents. The Swedish furniture giant will not recall the Malm chest of drawers but is calling on consumers to anchor the furniture to the wall.

“We wish to emphasise that the best way to prevent tip-over of chests of drawers is to attach products to the wall with the included restraints and hardware per the assembly instructions,” IKEA said.

“IKEA has included restraints with our chest of drawers for decades, and wall attachment is an integral part of the assembly instructions.”

The technical regulatory division within the MCCAA urged the public to ensure that such products are properly attached to the wall as per provided instructions.

Though there are no known IKEA representatives in Malta, consumers may still have bought their products, either online or from overseas suppliers, MCCAA said.

For further information, consumers can contact the Technical Regulatory Division on 23952000.