Three-Drawer Chest Recall Issued Following Death Of 2-Year-Old Due to Furniture Tip-Over Problem

The death of a two-year-old child has led to the recall of more than 300,000 three-drawer dressers which may tip over and pose an entrapment and suffocation hazard to children.

The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)  announced the South Shore 3-dresser recall on May 9, following two reports of the dressers tipping over, resulting in the death of one a young child who became pinned between the floor and an empty three-drawer dresser.

The recall warning indicates that if the dressers are not properly anchored to the wall, they pose serious tip-over and entrapment risks to children. To date, two tip-over reports have been received by the manufacturer resulting in severe bruising and scratching injuries to one child, and the death of a two-year old.

The recall impacts an estimated 316,900 Libra style three-drawer chests sold in a variety of colors including Royal Cherry, Black, Brown, Chocolate, White, Natural Maple, Soft Gray, Gray Oak, Country Pine and Rustic Oak. Affected three-drawer models were sold either individually or as part of a three-piece bedroom set that also included a bed and nightstand.

The dressers are equipped with three drawers measuring roughly 27 inches high by 31 inched wide by 15 inches deep and weigh approximately 56 pounds each. Each drawer is equipped with a metal handle and has the model number printed on a label on the back of the chest.

The dressers were manufactured in Canada and Mexico under South Shore Industries Ltd., of Canada, where they were sold throughout the United States through online retailers including Walmart.com, Amazon.com, Target.com and various other online retailers from October 2009 through July 2018 for about $60.

Approximately 310,000 recalled dressers were sold in the U.S., and another 6,900 were distributed for sale in Canada.

Customers are being asked to stop using the recalled three-drawer Libra dressers immediately if they are not properly anchored to the wall and to contact South Shore customer service toll-free at 855-215-4932 to receive information on how to receive a full refund with free pick-up or receive a free tip-over restraint kit and request a one-time free in-home installation of the kit.

Furniture Tip-Over Concerns

Furniture tip-over risks are one of the most common dangers in every home across the nation, and pose a variety of fatal and severe injury hazards to children, such as suffocation and blunt force trauma. On average, a child is sent to the emergency room for a tip-over injury every 24 minutes in America.

Children are inherently more susceptible to tip-over accidents from climbing and reaching for items at the top of dressers, or television stands, whether it is for a remote, gaming equipment or toys.

With more than 430 deaths recorded by the CPSC over the last 13 years, the CPSC first launched its “Anchor It” campaign in 2015, which warns parents of the top hidden tip-over hazards in the home and how to take steps to prevent tip-over accidents from occurring.

In June 2016, IKEA recalled 35 million MALM dressers that were found to be in violation of industry standards that require furniture over specified heights to be anchored to walls to prevent tip-over hazards to consumers. Several deaths and dozens of injuries have been related directly to the MALM series dressers.