An Ottoman bed killed a mother of two after it collapsed on her neck and she suffocated.
A coroner has issued a warning after Helen Davey, 39, died in a freak accident in June, when her opened bed fell shut on her unexpectedly as she was leaning over the exposed base.
The businesswoman and beautician from County Durham was found by her 19-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who is known as Betty, the Daily Mail reported. Ms Davey also had an 11-year-old son called George.
An Ottoman bed is a popular piece of furniture with springs or pistons which allow the mattress to hinge upwards to reveal storage space underneath.
They are designed to lift easily and support their own weight, and should only come down when pulled back in place.
However, one of the gas pistons which supported the weight of the mattress which killed Ms Davey was found to be defective.
Jeremy Chipperfield, senior coroner for Durham and Darlington, concluded the death was accidental and has written to Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, and the Government Office for Product Safety and Standards warning that there is a risk of other deaths unless action is taken.
“The deceased was leaning over the storage area of an Ottoman-styled gas-lift bed when the mattress platform descended unexpectedly, trapping her neck against the upper surface of the side panel of the bed’s base,” the coroner wrote in a prevention of future deaths report.
“Unable to free herself, she died of positional asphyxia. One of the two gas-lift pistons was defective.
“During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.
“In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”