Dania bookcase recalled after child dies when it tips over

NEW YORK — Dania Furniture is recalling a bookcase sold online and in its stores nationwide after an unanchored shelf tipped over and killed a 4-year-old child, the Boise, Idaho, company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Dania Furniture said it received news of the child’s death in August 2023. The following month, a law came into force requiring safety measures to prevent such tragedies.

From November 2017 to February 2024, about 940 of the Italian-made bookshelves were sold for about $370, the recall notice said.

The recalled product contains six storage compartments and is made of brown wood with three white sliding doors. The bookcase is 35.5 inches wide, 16 inches deep and 73 inches tall. A label on the back bears the SKU number LB2225/A.

Households where the product is present should only use it if it is anchored to the wall. Unanchored devices should be placed in a location out of reach of children, the statement said.

Owners of the bookcase should contact Dania Furniture to arrange for free installation of an anti-tip kit in their home. The company is also offering a refund for those who prefer to have the recalled bookcase picked up and returned.

You can reach the company Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT by calling 844-722-6347, by email at [email protected] or online here.

Products manufactured before September 1, 2023, are not covered by the Sturdy Act, which requires manufacturers to take steps to ensure furniture such as dressers are less likely to tip over on children.

In addition, parents and others are encouraged to secure televisions and other large pieces of furniture to the wall so that children cannot knock them down. The law requires that new furniture be sold with mounting kits.

From January 2013 to July 2023, 137 child deaths were reported from tipped-over furniture, televisions and appliances, according to the CPSC, injuring 17,800 people each year. Between 2000 and 2019, 451 children under the age of 17 were killed by tipped-over and crushed furniture and televisions, the agency said.

Dania Furniture’s recall on Thursday is the fifth recall this year related to tipping hazards.