IKEA Safety Gate Recall Issued After Reports of Children Falling

Following several reports of children suffering an injury when they fell down stairs, roughly 70,000 child safety gates sold at Ikea are being recalled due to defective designs, which may provide insufficient friction between the wall and the pressure-mounted safety gate.

The Ikea safety gates recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on May 12, following at least 18 consumer complaints indicating the gates fell over when mounted to the wall, including at least three injuries involving children who fell down a flight of steps.

The safety gates are designed to fit between various sized hallways or stairways to prevent children and even animals from entering another room. These gates are commonly used at the top or bottom of stairways to prevent infants and young children from falling. The gates are designed to expand to reach desired lengths and fasten to the walls by engaging a pressure-mounted spring mechanism, which creates and holds tension between the gates edges and the wall.

According to reports, the safety gates may fail to securely fasten to the walls or stairways, creating an increased risk of falls and injuries. The CPSC has also determined that the lower metal bar under the swing gate may pose a tripping hazard to children and even adults.

The recall includes safety gates sold under the PATRULL KLAMMA and PATRULL SMIDIG brand names with article numbers 302-265-21, 500-375-67, 501-919-50, 655-517-10, 700-989-65, and 901-136-01. These recalled gates are made of steel and have a white finish and measure about 29 inches high and have an adjustable width raging between 29 to 24 inches. Recalled article numbers can be located by viewing the safety label attached to the bottom metal bar.

The safety gates were manufactured in Denmark under IKEA North America Services LLC, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, where they were sold exclusively at IKEA stores and online at www.ikea-usa.com from August 1995 through February 2015 for about $35.

The CPSC estimates about 58,000 units were sold in the U.S and another 17,000 sold in Canada. According to the recall report, all 18 consumer complaints have originated outside of the U.S.

The CPSC recommends that customer stop using the safety gates immediately and either return them to any IKEA store for a full refund or contact IKEA at 888-966-4532 to receive free updated instructions and new adhesive warning labels advising customers to only use the gates in-between doorways or at the bottom of staircases.