A letter from the IKEA U.S. president

IKEA U.S. addresses product safety concerns  

  • Response from Lars Petersson IKEA U.S. president.
  • IKEA U.S. declined to comment further on Dr. Dyer’s story but through its communication department stressed that, "We want as many people as possible to hear the message that it is essential that dressers and chests of drawers are attached to the wall in order to prevent tip over accidents. Please note that although we very much would like to give you all the information you requested, we are unable to because it is confidential business information, and some of it can’t be disclosed because of our agreement with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.”

  • This is what it’s all about; whether a dresser, chest of drawers or other tall or top heavy furniture, secure it to the wall. You find a slew of practical tips and free tools at the website www.IKEA-USA.com/saferhomestogether. Photo courtesy of IKEA U.S.
  • We also received the following response from the IKEA U.S. president:

  • October 17, 2015

  • "The aim of IKEA is to be the leader in life at home, which includes helping people have a safe life at home. To that end, we have launched our Safer Homes Together campaign to educate consumers on how they can make their homes safer.

  • According to data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a child dies every two weeks in the U.S. from furniture, appliance or TV tip-overs. We believe that by working together, we can help prevent these tragedies and make the home a safer place. This is why the first campaign under Safer Homes Together, Secure It! was launched in winter 2015. The goal of Secure It! is to raise awareness of this serious home safety issue. Since wall attachment is the best way to prevent these accidents, we also want to motivate people to anchor their chests of drawers and dressers to the wall. We have invested in a comprehensive communication campaign to reach as many people as possible with this important message.

  • In July, together with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, we announced a free wall anchor kit program for all IKEA dressers and chests of drawers. The kits will be available online and in stores for those who have previously purchased chests of drawers but have not yet attached them to the wall. Customers purchasing new chests of drawers in IKEA stores and online will also receive this kit.

  • We are pleased with the response from consumers so far and we will continue to invest in communications to reach more Americans with this important message.

  • I urge all customers to inspect their IKEA chests and dressers to ensure that they are securely anchored to the wall. Move unanchored chests and dressers into storage or other areas where they cannot be accessed by children until the chests and dressers are properly anchored to the wall.”

  • Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. president

  • To receive a free wall-anchoring kit, consumers can visit an IKEA retail store, register at www.IKEA-USA.com/saferhomestogether or call toll-free (888) 966-4532.