Big Lots Recalls Futon Bunk Beds

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Ohio-based Big Lots is voluntarily recalling about 30,000 metal futon bunk beds.

Big Lots has a store at 1470 Pleasant Valley Rd. in Manchester.

Children behind the futon or in the ladder area of the bunk bed can get trapped when the futon and its metal frame are lowered from the seated to the flat position, according to a CPSC news release.

That is what happened to a 3-year-old Burlington, IA, boy, who became entrapped and weight of the futon's metal frame prevented the child from breathing and escaping, according to the CPSC.

In addition to this hazard, the space between the last rung on the bunk bed's ladder and the futon mattress is too small, which can allow a child's body to pass through, but not the head, posing a head and neck entrapment hazard, agency officials said.

The metal futon bunk beds have an upper bunk designed to hold a twin mattress. The bottom bunks have a convertible futon bed.

The recall involves metal futon bunk beds with model number BFB1008 located on a label on the upper bunk support rail. Big Lots exclusively sold the recalled metal futon bunk beds in stores nationwide from January 2009 through April 2010 for about $200. They were sold unassembled, and were manufactured in China.

Consumers should immediately stop using these bunk beds and contact Big Lots for a free repair kit that contains new ladders and other parts that consumers can install at home, according to the CPSC.

For additional information, contact Big Lots toll-free at 866-244-5687 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, e-mail the firm at talk2us@biglots.com or visit the firm's Web site www.biglots.com.

To see the recall on CPSC's web site, go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11250.html