Businesses recall deadly bookcases a year late

Idaho-based Dania Furniture is recalling its Hayden bookcase after a deadly accident involving a young child. The company and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall notice on June 27, 2024, stating that the bookcase poses a serious risk of tipping over and causing death or injury to children.

The bookcase is unstable if not anchored to the wall, posing tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in death or serious injuries to children.

― Recall notice from Dania Furniture and the CPSC

The recall comes after the company received a report of a 4-year-old child who died in August 2023 when the bookcase tipped over. Approximately 940 of these bookcases, manufactured in Italy, were sold across the nation from November 2017 through February 2024.

The recalled bookcase is described as follows:

• Brown wood with six storage cubbies and three sliding doors
• Dimensions: 35.5 inches wide, 16 inches deep, and 73 inches tall
• The product name is located on a label on the back of each unit

The CPSC advises anyone with this bookcase to stop using it immediately if it is not properly anchored to a wall. Consumers can contact Dania Furniture to arrange for a free installation of a tip-over restraint kit, and the company will also refund returned items.

According to a 2022 CPSC report, children under 18 accounted for 7,200 out of 15,600 injuries involving furniture reported to the agency. From 2000 to 2021, over 590 deaths were related to tip-over incidents.

In an effort to address this issue, Congress passed the STURDY Act in December 2022, mandating the CPSC to improve safety standards for freestanding furniture. However, this law only applies to products manufactured after its enactment.