7 On Your Side

CONSUMER CATCH-UP: IKEA bookcase topples onto twins, FCC to vote using '988' as national suicide prevention number

BySimone Chavoor, Justin Mendoza KGO logo

Thursday, June 25, 2020

CONSUMER CATCH-UP: Nest cam catches IKEA bookcase toppling onto twins

In this edition of Consumer Catch-Up, a Nest cam catches IKEA bookcase toppling onto twins in the South Bay, and Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on using '988' as national suicide prevent number.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Nest cam shows IKEA bookcase falling on twin toddlers in Morgan Hill

Harrowing Nest cam footage shows the moments when an IKEA bookcase toppled over onto two Morgan Hill children.

This incident has led to refreshed calls for increased furniture tip-over safety and awareness. Nicole Oka, mother of twins Dominic and Clara, who were a year old at the time of the accident, told Consumer Reports that they thought they had taken the right precautions when using the IKEA-provided anchors to attach the BRIMNES bookcase to the wall of the twins' room.

"We felt completely comfortable knowing that the furniture was mounted to the wall and their room was safe," Nicole told Consumer Reports.

But as the video shows, the two children got up from their beds and attempted to climb the bookcase, resulting in it toppling over on top of them. Thankfully, neither child was injured. According to Consumer Reports, "one of the anchors was pulled out of the wall yet remained attached to the back of the bookcase. The other anchor stayed in the stud of the wall yet broke off from the bookcase." It is recommended that all anchors be affixed to studs in the wall.

In a statement to 7 On Your Side, an IKEA U.S. spokesperson writes: "First and foremost, we are grateful that the children were not seriously injured. We are currently reviewing the video involving the BRIMNES bookcase and need more time to get a better understanding of the details. We cannot provide any additional comment at this time."

When asked what advice she'd give to other parents, Nicole said, "The main message is that -- the anchors that are anchoring your furniture are not actually fail-proof. I know that's what we thought -- but that it turns out not to be the case." Nicole suggests that parents should put themselves in their shoes and "feel the 10 seconds of fear that we felt" to motivate them to check for such safety hazards. "If your furniture is not anchored, anchor it. And at least check the anchors. Give it a good shake," she said.

FCC to vote on designating "988" as national suicide prevention hotline

The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on designating "988" as the national hotline for suicide prevention.

The FCC said on Tuesday it will vote July 16 on the proposal, which would make the number change official. When approved, phone providers will have two years to put the change into effect, transferring calls to 988 to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Callers will still be able to reach the hotline at its regular number, 1-800-273-8255.

"988 will save lives. Helping Americans in crisis connect to counselors trained in suicide prevention is one of the most important things we can do at the FCC," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

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