Blumenthal Welcomes CPSC and IKEA Recall of Dangerous Chests and Bureaus After Fatal Tipovers

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a co-sponsor of legislation to address fatal furniture tip-over incidents, released the following statement today after the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 29 million IKEA chests and dressers due to safety concerns:

“Today’s recall is an important step towards improving safety in our homes, but recalling individual furniture items is not enough – current voluntary safety standards are plainly insufficient. American families need and deserve a strong furniture stability standard to prevent deadly tip-overs and protect our children. Among the hidden dangers in many homes are unstable pieces of large furniture and appliances that are inadequately anchored to walls or dangerously top-heavy, and can tip-over, crushing small children. Parents should not have to worry about their children getting seriously injured or worse every time they turn their heads,” said Blumenthal.                                                                       

In June, Blumenthal joined U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in introducing the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act. The legislation directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to adopt a stronger, mandatory stability standard for clothing storage units, including chests, bureaus, and dressers, which are a major category of furniture at risk for tipping over. The bill gives the industry standards organization ASTM 180 days from the date of enactment to publish a stronger stability standard for clothing storage units, which the CPSC can adopt as mandatory if the Commission determines that it adequately protects children from tip-over related injury or death.  If ASTM does not publish an adequate voluntary standard within 180 days, the CPSC would be required to issue a final, mandatory safety standard for clothing storage units within 540 days of enactment.

Blumenthal also filed amendments to the Fiscal Year 2017 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill and the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow individuals in low income and military housing units, respectively, to securely anchor furniture and large appliances to the wall without penalty.

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