Safety in the home is a top priority
Our house should be our safe place. That one place where we shouldn't have to think about everything that could possibly go wrong outside. However, part of taking care of our safety does begin at home. That's why we work so hard to make sure that IKEA furniture and accessories do not pose any risk to the safety of your family.
Where should we focus our efforts at home?
Every room is different and of course, accidents don't always happen, but when they do, they're most likely to occur in the places we spend the most time.
In the living room
In the kitchen
In the garden
Families spend a lot of time together in the living room watching TV, playing, chatting or doing homework. That's why it's a likely spot for an accident to occur. Then in the kitchen, where lots of families spend time making dinner or eating breakfast in a morning. And finally, in the garden, a place with infinite possibilities to play.
Source: EuroSafe IKEA-specific analysis based on European Injury Statistics Database, from 2008-2018.
What can we do to avoid the most common hazards in the home?
- With the STOPP FILT floor protector, we can stop rugs from moving to reduce the risk of slipping. It also protects the floor from scuffs.
- Babies never rest when they start to crawl and move around, and they experience the world around them through their hands and mouth. If you can't store chemical and cleaning products out of their reach, then an UNDVIKA accessory could be the solution.
- Furniture corners, particularly for under-two's, are an inexhaustible source of bumps and bruises. With the UNDVIKA corner bumpers, we can have a little more piece of mind.
- All IKEA furniture comes with an anchoring system, and we always insist that fixing them to the wall should be treated as just another step in their assembly, especially for chests of drawers, wardrobes and large, heavy furniture. If your little one likes climbing, we should make sure that nothing can fall onto them.
- Hands up if you've ever managed to completely tidy away all the toys and all the little bits and pieces when there's a child in the house! Nobody? You could have a few little IKEA boxes around the house. Not only are they decorative and attractive, but they will also help you store all the bits and bobs you find every day and stop anyone from putting them in their mouths. Then every so often, you can put them back in their place. That's if you have time and you feel like it.
- Candles create a wonderful atmosphere, especially when we're trying to relax, take time for ourselves (why not?) or have a romantic moment with that special someone. Just be careful not to leave them lit near curtains or on any surface that might burn easily. You could use a BERGGRAN candle holder, a BORBY lantern or buy GLANSLIND scented candles which come with their own glass jar, so you'll have one less thing to worry about.
- Electrical appliances are necessary, but we also have to take some precautions. In the kitchen, a hot hob top within reach of a child can be a problem. With the MATMÄSSIG induction hob, we can prevent burns from accidentally touching it or little ones from turning it on thanks to its safety feature.
- When we're cooking it's very easy to spill oil or a little boiling water when draining pasta. Thanks to our aprons, oven gloves and many other kitchen accessories, you can still enjoy the pleasures of cooking without the risks.
- Bathing our baby is one of the most beautiful moments when you start to bond even more closely, if that's possible. But baby will grow and they will increasingly want to bathe and play alone in the bathtub. Don't forget that 3 cm is enough to give us a scare, but with careful supervision and a LÄTTSAM bathtub with anti-slip protection in the bottom, you can relax a little.
Safety at home has no age limit
They say that "age is just a question of attitude". But they also say that "with age, comes wisdom". Which one are we supposed to believe? Whichever one feels right to you, but just in case, we can put some practical safety suggestions in place in our home.
We have an ongoing commitment to the safety of our products
How IKEA develops safe products
Safety is key in the development of IKEA products, to make sure that they can withstand the demands of everyday life at home. We put all our products through rigorous stress and functionality testing so that you can enjoy them with peace of mind. This includes after putting them on sale on all our channels.
The full list of IKEA product recalls
Sometimes, despite all our tests and certifications, we find out that one of our products already on sale could be a potential hazard. When that happens, we launch a process to recall it as fast as possible. Here you can check if you have an IKEA product that has been recalled and if so, what you can do.