IKEA Children's Wall Lamp Recall 2013: 8 Fixtures Recalled Over Strangling Hazard After Toddler's Death
Swedish DIY furniture behemoth IKEA has in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall of a series of children’s wall-mounted lamps in response to consumer reports implicating the unit in the death of a 16-month old and the near-strangulation of a 15-month-old. Consumers are advised to stop using the lamp immediately and contact IKEA for a free repair kit.
The recall involves all products in the SMILA wall-mounted lamps. The UCSC said in an advisory released last week that at least two reports have indicated a strangulation hazard. “A 16-month-old child in a crib died after getting entangled in the lamp’s cord. In a separate incident, a 15-month-old child in a crib became entangled in the lamp’s cord and nearly strangled,” the agency wrote. “In both incidents, which occurred in Europe, the lamp cord was pulled into the crib by the infants.”
The SMILA series was sold exclusively at IKEA stores, in IKEA’s catalogue, and online between July 1999 and May 2013. The series features eight different designs: a blue star, a yellow moon, a pink flower, a white flower, a red heart, a green bug, a blue seashell, and an orange seahorse. Additional details can be found on the CPSC’s website.
In a news release, IKEA apologized for the incidents and asked consumers to contact their customer service for a free repair kit. “Customers are asked to contact customer service at (888) 966-4532 to receive a repair kit free of charge,” the company wrote. “The repair kit contains safety instructions and self-adhesive fasteners for attaching the lamp cord to the wall.”
“IKEA reminds customers that any corded product such as a window covering or a blind can present a strangulation hazard,” they added. “Accessible cords should always be kept out of reach of young children.”
The CPSC estimates that 4 million units have been sold in the U.S. and Canada. A total of 23 million have been sold worldwide. Below is a list of the model and article number of each product covered by the recall.
- STJÄRNA model with article numbers 501.944.49 or 500.108.79
- MÅNE model with article numbers 701.944.48 or 700.108.40
- BLOMMA model with article numbers 901.944.47 or 000.979.50
- HJÄRTA model with article numbers 202.256.59 or 801.993.1
- BAGGE model with article numbers 101.944.46 or 700.728.71
- SNÄCKA model with article number 400-982-50
- SJÖHÄST model with article number 900-982-43
