Amazon, Walmart, and Wayfair are among the retailers that continue to sell older dressers that pose a tipping hazard and are a poor choice for U.S. families with young children, according to a study released this week by Consumer Reports. This is a particular concern.
A year after new furniture safety standards went into effect, tests by a consumer advocacy group found that new construction dressers met stability requirements. However, Consumer Reports says that of the 12 dressers tested, two that were manufactured before September 2023 failed, while 10 newer dressers made to the new standards passed. .
The test simulated a child pulling out a drawer, climbing on it, and hanging on it. According to federal ruggedness law, an unsecured dresser must remain upright for at least 10 seconds with a 60-pound weight hanging from its open top drawer.
The new rules only apply to dressers manufactured after September 1, 2023, allowing manufacturers to continue selling older dressers, but the loophole has left one parent and advocate stunned. I’m letting you do it.
“They could have followed the spirit of the law, not just the letter of the law, and removed all the old stuff from the shelves,” said Crystal Ellis, whose 2-year-old son Camden died in the fall. He spoke to Consumer Reports about the 2014 incident.
Major retailers continue to sell dressers that may not meet new standards or pass tip-over tests, and product listings and labels do not specify when the furniture was manufactured. often not, making it difficult for people to know whether it complies with the latest standards. rule.
“To protect children’s safety and eliminate market uncertainty, Consumer Reports has committed to a public schedule for all retailers and online platforms to only sell dressers that have passed our new rigorous tip-over test. Gabe Knight, a safety policy analyst at Consumer Reports.
IKEA announced in April that its chests and dressers sold in the U.S. will meet new mandatory standards set out in a law that will be passed in 2022 and take effect next September.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, from January 2000 to April 2022, 234 people, including 199 children, died from clothing storage overturning. The study estimates that 5,300 emergency room injuries resulting from dresser falls occur each year. The agency advises securing furniture, including dressers, to walls.
In June, federal agencies and Dania Furniture Co. of Boise, Idaho, announced a recall of Hayden bookshelves after an accident caused a fatality when an unsecured bookshelf toppled over. 4 year old child.
Earlier this year, millions of plastic furniture anti-tip restraint kits were recalled because the product’s cable ties could become brittle and break, the CPSC said.
Amazon sidestepped the question of whether it is committed to selling only dressers that meet the new stability standards.
“We require all dressers offered in our stores to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon policies,” an Amazon spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.
Walmart and Wayfair did not respond to requests for comment.