Ikea Canada is urging customers to ensure that dressers and chests purchased from the Swedish furniture giant are securely anchored to a wall after two U.S. children were fatally injured when the units tipped over last year.
The company says that two boys, both around two years old, were killed in 2014 after they were crushed by Malm chests that had not been fastened to a wall.
One of the boys, from West Chester, Pa., was pinned against his bed after a six-drawer Malm chest fell on him. The other boy, from Snohomish, Wash., was trapped under a three-drawer Malm chest that tipped over.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Ikea say they have been notified of 14 cases of the chests tipping over, resulting in four injuries.
Ikea Canada said in a statement released on Wednesday that product safety is its "top priority" and that customers should install tip-over restraints that are provided with its chests.
"Ikea furniture is safe when assembled and installed according to assembly instructions," said the company in the statement.
Any customer who did not keep their tip-over restraints can pick one up at any Ikea location or can contact customer support at 1-866-866-4532 to have one delivered to their home.
In particular, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that customers need to take precautions with units around children.
They said consumers shouldn't use Ikea children's chest and drawers taller than 60 centimetres and adult units that are higher than 80 centimetres unless they've been secured to a wall.
Ikea is aware of three other deaths from other models of chests and drawers that fell over since 1989.
With files from The Associated Press
