After The Deaths Of Two Children, IKEA Offers A Fix For Drawers

After the deaths of two young children, IKEA is releasing special kits to ensure the safety of its popular dressers and drawers. A release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) urges consumers to "immediately stop using" any children's dresser taller than 23 1/2" or adult dresser/drawers taller than 29 1/2" — unless they are securely fastened to the wall. According to the CSPC, about 7 million MALM chests and 20 million other styles of dressers and drawers are a part of the nationwide repair program. CNN Money reports that the MALM dresser was responsible for both deaths last year, the most recent of which occurred in June 2014, when the 30 1/4" three-drawer MALM tipped over onto a 23-month-old boy. The popular style has been available since 2002. The Secure it! guide available on IKEA's website details the different measures consumers might take to secure their furniture to different types of walls, whether plaster or drywall, with or without wood studs. It also advises consumers to avoid placing heavy objects atop a dresser. "By working together, we can help prevent these tragedies and make the home a safer place," the site reads. You can get your own free wall-anchoring kit here, or by visiting your local IKEA store.