IKEA will keep selling a series of popular chests of drawers in Australia despite recalling them in North America after they were linked to the death of six toddlers.
The Swedish retail giant recalled 29 million chests and dressers - including its popular Malm product - in the US and Canada after the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said at least six children under the age of four have been crushed to death by a toppling IKEA chest or dresser.
But IKEA Australia says it will not recall the products locally, prompting calls by consumer advocacy group Choice for a change to Australian law.
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"The fact that IKEA is yet to announce a recall here says a great deal about the inadequate product safety laws we have down under," Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said.
"Consumers might be surprised to learn that currently there is no mandatory requirement for IKEA to sell safe products or notify the public when one of their products has resulted in a child being injured or hospitalised."
Choice said the issue highlighted the need for major changes to Australian consumer law.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has met with IKEA and said US regulators have not identified a safety defect in the furniture.
The consumer watchdog and IKEA point out consumers can anchor the drawers to walls as per the products' assembly instructions, but Choice is adamant the retailer doesn't go far enough.
"Worryingly, although IKEA's instructions mention the foothold hazard and provide a bracket to attach the furniture to the wall, the screws/fixing devices are not supplied," Mr Godfrey said.
"Consumers shouldn't assume the company has provided them with everything they need to keep their kids safe when using this product."
The ACCC's Product Safety Australia website says at least 14 children under nine years old have died in Australia between 2000 and 2015 in incidents where domestic furniture fell on them.
The Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit at Monash University recorded 909 emergency department visits in Victoria between 2006 to 2014 for injuries related to furniture tip-overs.
Of these injuries, half were experienced by children four years old and under, and the majority of accidents happened at home.
The Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit at the Mater Hospital also found toppling furniture to be a major hazard, with 1,032 cases recorded between 1999 and 2013 involving children under five years of age.
The ACCC advises parents to buy low-set furniture with stable bases, and to anchor furniture to a wall.
