The Window Coverings Safety Council, along with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, have established October as National Window Covering Safety Month. During the month of October, we at Beach Bungalow Blinds are also encouraging parents and caregivers to evaluate their window coverings for dangling or exposed cords that may pose a risk to small children and infants. The official recommendation from the CPSC and WCSC is that only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords be used in homes with small children and infants.
Dangers of Dangling and Exposed Cords
Did you know that according to the CPSC, exposed cords of window coverings are one of the top five “hidden hazards” in American homes today? “Window cord strangulations are one of the top hidden hazards of the home,” says CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. So, what can you do to reduce this risk in your own home? Here are some helpful precautions from the Window Covering Safety Council
- Be sure all cribs, beds, furniture, and any climbable surfaces are placed well away from windows, do not let cords hang near any beds throughout the house – not just in the child’s room.
- Do not allow any pull cords to hang loose in reach of a child.
- Instill safety practices when playing around windows and glass doors. By establishing safety rules and the possibility of danger at a young age, children may better understand the risks as they grow up.
- Be sure that any pull cords are as short as possible, while still usable by an adult. Any continuous loop style cords should be adjusted to be as tight as possible, without any slack.
- Eliminate cord risk altogether by installing only cordless window coverings in homes with small children. In fact, a 2016 proposal to revise current safety standards to reflect that all “stock products” - 80% of the window covering products sold in the US and Canada - will be required to be cordless or have inaccessible short cords.
- Be aware of vertical blind chains, these can pose a similar risk as pull cords for small children and crawling babies.
WCSC Executive Director Peter Rush urges parents to check their window coverings and windows and replace any older corded shades, blinds, or draperies with a cordless product for the peace of mind and maximum safety of their children.
Cordless Options
There are many child-friendly window treatment options available for safety-conscious parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Here are just a few of the products that will keep children safe from danger:
- Plantation Shutters— Inherent in the design of plantation shutters, there are never any cords or chains that could present a potential danger to small children.
- UltraGlide systems— These blinds feature a short, retractable cord that automatically retracts after use. It’s easy for adults to access, but out of reach of children.
- Wand-operated blinds— Instead of a potentially dangerous cord, these blinds are opened and closed with a stiff wand.
- LiteRise cordless blinds— Completely cord-free, these blinds are raised and lowered by grasping the bottom edge of the blinds and gently tugging.
- Motorized blinds— Hunter Douglas PowerView Motorization allows homeowners to use a remote control (or even a smartphone) to raise and lower blinds with ease. No cords that are easily accessed by little hands.
For more information on plantation shutters, cordless blinds and shades, and other easy to use, child-safe window coverings, contact us at Beach Bungalow Blinds today!
