This Fashionable Thrifted Merchandise Has a Harmful Design Flaw, However Fortunately There’s an Straightforward Repair

When you have one at house, you really want to learn this.

Final month, TikTok person @graceful_designs_diy, often known as Grace, posted about an vintage cedar chest that each thrift shopper ought to pay attention to to stop pointless deaths.

The merchandise was made by the Lane Company between 1912 and 1987, and was well-liked on the time. Sadly, the chest design had one flaw. It had a lock that couldn’t be opened from inside. So, when kids hid inside, they by accident acquired trapped, leading to a complete of 14 fatalities attributable to suffocation. The corporate had issued a recall, however an estimated six million are nonetheless in circulation within the reseller market immediately.

“Though the U.S. Product Security Fee has made clear that it’s unlawful to resell recalled items, it isn’t unusual to see these locks on these classic chests,” mentioned Grace.

Fortunately, the answer is easy for individuals who personal such an vintage. You possibly can simply contact the corporate and inform them that you simply nonetheless have their outdated lock they usually’ll ship you a brand new, improved model. Or, you possibly can simply take away the lock by yourself and depart it off or put in a safer one from the ironmongery store.

With so many items of the cedar chest nonetheless accessible for buy, it’s good that Grace’s video has raised consciousness in regards to the hazard of proudly owning this and different recalled items of furnishings. In truth, a lot of her followers solely realized in regards to the security concern due to her TikTok clip.

“You might be saving lives!! We inherited one two years in the past proper when our son was born and had no concept. He’s a toddler now and we can be breaking the lock,” mentioned one commenter. 

One other remark reads: “I actually inherited one in every of these two weeks in the past and had no concept. Thanks!”

A 3rd commenter added: “I’ve one in every of these recalled chests in my house. It’s a lovely piece, and I had no concept it was so harmful.”

For additional details about the Lane Firm’s cedar chest, you possibly can take a look at their product security advisory web page here.