Target Dresser Recall Issued After Tip-Overs Onto Children
More than 175,000 four-drawer dressers sold exclusively by Target have been recalled, after the manufacturer received at least a dozen reports of the heavy furniture pieces tipping over on young children, posing a risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injury.
The Target dresser recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on September 13, due to the potential tip-over hazard, which has already resulted in injuries for at least two three-year old children.
According to the CPSC, the dressers are unstable if they are not anchored to a wall, posing a serious risk in homes throughout the U.S. To date, the agenccy has received reports of the pieces both tipping over and collapsing.
Included in the recall are Target Room Essentials 4-drawer dressers, which measure 41 7/8 inches tall by 31 ½ inches wide by 15 11/16 inches deep. The dressers were sold in the color black with model number 249-05-0103, espresso with model number 249-05-0106, and maple with model number 249-05-0109. The model numbers of the recalled furniture pieces can be found on the product’s packaging.
The recalled dressers were manufactured in Denmark and distributed for sale at Target stores nationwide, and online at Target.com, from January 2013 through April 2016, for about $118.
The CPSC estimates about 175,000 units were distributed for sale throughout the United States, and an additional 3,000 units were sold in Canada.
Customers are being asked to stop using the dressers drawers immediately if they are not properly anchored to the wall, and to place the dresser in an area that children cannot access.
The recalled Target dressers can be returned to any Target store for a full refund. For further questions or concerns regarding the recall, consumers may contact Target at 800-440-0680 or visit them online at www.Target.com and navigate to the “Recalls” tab at the bottom of the page.
Earlier this month, Walmart was also subject to a dresser recall that included an estimated 1.6 million Ameriwood Mainstays 4-drawer dressers recalled after at least one report was received where one of the four-drawer chests tipped over onto a four-year-old, entrapping and injuring the child.
According to CPSC data, furniture and TV tip-over accidents have caused 430 deaths over the last 13 years and account for roughly 38,000 emergency rooms visits annually. The commission warns that at least one child dies every two weeks and another child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from heavy furniture or televisions tipping over.