Ikea Product Recalls, Pays $500,000 Penalty: Candles; Blinds Lead to Death
Published On: December 18, 2008
kea Outdoor Candles Leads to Recall, $500,000 Penalty
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced dangers in two separate Ikea products:Ikea Outdoor Candles: IKEA sold about 133,000 six-pack sets of the outdoor candles in the United States between February 2001 and July 2005. The firm also sold an additional 1.3 million candle sets internationally. During that time, the firm received at least 32 reports worldwide of unexpected flare-ups, including fire, scorching and twelve reported injuries, including minor to serious burns. In May 2006, CPSC and IKEA announced the recall of the candles.
IKEA North America Services LLC, of Conshohocken, Pa., has agreed to pay the government a $500,000 civil penalty. The penalty, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, settles allegations that the company failed to immediately report incidents about defective outdoor candles.
Roman Blinds Lead to Strangulation Death of Child
Strangulation Death of Child Prompts Recall of Roman Blinds Sold Exclusively at Ikea. The retailer, in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced a voluntary recall of 670,000 units of the IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds which are distributed by IKEA Home Furnishings (Conshohocken, Pa). These blinds present a strangulation hazard when a child places his or her neck in an exposed inner cord of the backside of the roman blinds. The Commission reported the following incident:
On April 4, 2008, a 1-year-old girl in Greenwich, Conn. became entangled in the inner cord of an IKEA Roman Blind and strangled. The child was in a portable playpen that was located underneath a fully lowered roman blind. She was found partially suspended with the inner cord of the blind wrapped twice around her neck.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site by clicking here.
Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and shades in their homes. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords.
