IKEA recalls children’s drum kit amid safety concerns

The international retailer IKEA has issued a recall on one of its children’s products after concerns that it could pose a health risk. The toy drum kit includes drumsticks that have a rubber ball attached to the ends, and this is the component that has raised concerns. Parents in Essex who have purchased or been given this toy as a present should note that the recall is a preventative measure and that no injuries have been reported.

A business area manager for the company said that IKEA was constantly mindful of its responsibilities to ensure the safety of the toys that it sells. It sought to encourage the imagination and playfulness in children with its products but took great care to ensure that the products could not cause harm. The recall notice from the company stressed that the drum kit had been tested and had met the required safety standards but that further testing of the product by IKEA staff had revealed a potential risk.

IKEA found that the rubber component of the drum sticks could be removed, and although the LATTJO drum kit was being sold for children aged 6 and over, the detached rubber ball could pose a choking danger for younger children. Ikea said that customers returning the product would not be required to show proof of purchase but would be refunded the full price of the toy.

Legislation in the U.K. regulating the safety of toys is strict; however, if a manufacturer or retailer discovers that a children’s product is unsafe after it has been released for sale, they are obliged to publicise an alert and recall the item. Consumers are entitled to expect that a product is safe, and a solicitor may be able to provide legal advice to a parent if their child has been injured by a faulty toy.