Recently, the IKEA Group has been caught in a “recall door” for furniture safety risks. First, at the end of June local time, he announced the recall of the “Drawer Chest of Drawers” ​​Malm Chest of Drawers in North America, but made it clear that he would not recall the same products in China, and then announced the full recall of all models of Patru safe doors, involving sales in China. The products need to be removed from the product and returned for refund.

The same is a recall, why does IKEA handle different standards for different products? "Recalling the door" quickly became a hot spot for netizens. Some netizens questioned IKEA's evasive responsibility: "Why do you treat them differently? These cabinets that are still on sale, who should be responsible for the safety problems after the sale?" Some netizens said: "The standards for protecting consumers can be different between China and foreign countries?" What are the principles that IKEA furniture recalls follow, and in the recalls of different countries and regions, is the use of double standards or Chinese and foreign differences? The reporter launched an investigation into this.

Why is the "Desperate Chest of Drawers" not recalled? IKEA: different standards

The reporter learned that the so-called "dead locker" recalled by IKEA includes 35.6 million drawers including the popular Malm series. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's official website, since 1989, these problems have caused six children to die and 36 children have been injured. The cause of the accident was that the furniture was not fixed on the wall and collapsed to cause tragedy.

This kind of chest of drawers is also sold in China, but the current IKEA recall is limited to North America. IKEA China has made it clear that it will not recall the relevant drawers sold in China.

The IKEA China headquarters in Shanghai responded to reporters that the recall of the North American market was based on a voluntary recall of the ASTM standard (American Society for Testing and Materials), and the company reached a consensus decision after consultation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. At present, in the Chinese market, IKEA has not received any cases of injury caused by the series of drawers, and IKEA related products comply with Chinese national standards. The IKEA official explained that the accidents in the United States were caused by the fact that the cabinets were not fixed to the wall.

The reporter went to the IKEA store in Beijing’s Siyuanqiao shopping mall, and the Malm drawers are still on sale. A salesperson told reporters that there are many models of the Malm drawers. "The sales of the six drawers have been very good." It is understood that the height of the Malm drawers is usually above 60 cm, the style is simple and practical, some families will put the cabinets It is used in the children's room as a locker.

For the children of the net pass climbing the drawer is easy to be overwhelmed, the reporter did an experiment in the mall, when the bottom drawer was completely opened, press hard to replace the child's weight, because the cabinet is not fixed on the wall The chest of drawers has been shaken.

According to experts in the furniture industry, IKEA's one-stop sales model gives all consumers the initiative to purchase and install, while most consumers pay more attention to product quality, style and practicality when purchasing. Few people are concerned about whether such furniture poses a risk to children's safety.

What are the differences between Chinese and American home safety standards? Furniture is fixed as a key

For the issue of Chinese furniture standards proposed in the “Recall Door” of IKEA, the reporter found that the Chinese standard that IKEA said to comply with was published by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the China National Standardization Administration on October 10, 2013. The new national standard for cabinet stability: GB/T10357.4-2013, which was officially implemented on May 1, 2014. Compared to the 1989 standard, an entry for "fixed cabinet stability" has been added, but this entry does not specify that the furniture must be fixed to the wall.

In fact, in August 2012, China has officially implemented the National Standard for Children's Furniture, General Technical Conditions for Children's Furniture. The standard clearly stipulates that all high-top tables and cabinets with a height greater than 600 mm shall provide attachments for the fixed products on the building. The standard also requires that children's furniture should clearly indicate the age range of the product in the instructions for use, and there should be warnings about potential risks during installation and use.

In the standard safety rules for clothing storage units numbered ASTM F2057-14 in the United States, the requirements for the door opening angle, drawer pull-out length, and weight applied during the stability test are specified in detail, with picture descriptions. In addition, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stated that “the US Consumer Council and the IKEA Group urge consumers to ensure that furniture should be properly secured to the wall, regardless of whether the furniture meets ASTM standards.”

In real life, many parents often purchase ordinary wooden furniture because of the overall decoration of the family and sufficient storage space. In the consideration of the safety of these furniture, children are often ignored. "Stability factors", the "dead locker" that caused tragedy in the United States is not children's furniture.

Some consumers believe that only by unifying, refining and implementing furniture safety standards can children be prevented from accidents during use.

Activist: IKEA violates the fair trading rights of Chinese consumers

"China's first person to fight fake" Wang Hai and other rights activists believe that IKEA's different practices inside and outside the life of the chest of drawers clearly infringe on the fair trading rights of Chinese consumers, and advise consumers to go to court for prosecution. IKEA dares to do this, mainly because the operator's responsibility under the laws of China is too light.

Although the IKEA official said that in the Chinese market has not received the case of injury caused by the relevant drawers, but the reporter only found through the network search that consumers reflect the safety of IKEA drawers. A netizen from Shenzhen, Guangdong introduced his recent experience: “The baby first opened the bottom drawer and then pulled the drawer up one by one. When the top drawer was opened, the cabinet suddenly leaned forward and some drawers fell out. The cabinet Finally, it fell on the drawer. When the baby pulled the top drawer, it stood on the side, so it didn't press."

Some consumers with similar experiences told reporters that after the media reminded, they found that there were requirements in the furniture manual to nail the cabinet to the wall, and also provided corresponding accessories. Although the parents also have the responsibility, they just don’t quite understand what they should bear as a manufacturing company. Kind of responsibility.

The Consumer Council of Shenzhen publicly questioned on June 30 why the IKEA Group did not recall similar products in China at the same time. The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision and the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau also interviewed IKEA (China) Investment Co., Ltd. at the first time, requesting IKEA to earnestly fulfill its responsibility for quality and safety, and carefully investigate product safety hazards to ensure consumers' personal lives. Property security. The quality inspection department will further verify the relevant situation and urge IKEA to strictly abide by Chinese laws and regulations and relevant standards, and effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers.

The Consumer Council of Shenzhen believes that the right to life and health is the most basic human right. It should be protected equally and indifferently in any country or region. If the similar products recalled in North America are sold in the Chinese market, the IKEA Group must Unconditional recall. China's relevant laws have strict regulations on the protection of citizens' right to life and health and defective product recalls. The IKEA Group's business activities in the Chinese market must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and effectively protect the Chinese consumers' right to life and health from infringement.

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