Child Safety |
Children and Window Cords Don’t Mix
When window cords are within reach, it takes only a few seconds for a young child to be accidentally strangled. Infants placed in cribs near windows may be able to grasp a dangling window cord unintentionally wrapping it around their neck. Toddlers and preschoolers play on beds or climb on furniture placed near windows can accidentally become entangled or caught in window cords. These may be the cords used to operate the blind or shade, or they may be cords that run inside or on the back of the product. Tragically, nearly a dozen children die a year from window cord accidents.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) strongly recommends you repair or replace Mini Blinds and other corded window coverings purchased before 2001 with safer products now available.
Window Covering Safety Tips
- The CPSC and the Window Covering Safety Council urge parents to eliminate the looping two-corded horizontal blinds, Pleated and Honeycomb shades, as well as Vertical Blinds and draperies with continuous loop systems.
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- Some products, such as Roman and Woven Wood Shades, have back cords, in which children can also be strangled. These products should never be mounted in windows accessible to children.
- Keep all window covering cords out of the reach of children. Unless the cords can be completely removed from a child's reach, the CPSC recommends against knotting or tying the cords together which creates a new loop for a child to become entangled.
- Get the shortest cords possible when ordering window coverings. For blinds and draperies which require a continuous loop to function properly, use a tension device or pulley which is fastened to the wall or window casing.
- Never put a crib or young child’s bed near a window. Even if you have guards on the windows, the temptation to investigate cords from hanging window coverings is strong for a young child.
- Because young children climb, never put a chair, sofa, bench or even a bookcase near a window with a dangling cord. Children can climb on furniture, play with cords or chains and could become entangled.
3 Day Blinds and Child Safety
Child safety is important to 3 Day Blinds. All products manufactured by 3 Day Blinds are in conformance with the current voluntary American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards for corded window covering products.
3 Day Blinds provides FREE Horizontal and Vertical Blind Retrofit Kits online to modify blind cords and help reduce the risk of strangulation on window coverings made by any manufacturer and purchased before 2001.
When replacing window coverings, 3 Day Blinds recommends selecting cordless products. For assistance in selecting a product that is safer for your child, ask one of our in-home Design Consultants or call our Customer Care Department 888-966-3329.
Awareness
3 Day Blinds has a long standing relation with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) including being a part of the CHOC Mobile Safety House program that teaches home safety to parents and caregivers of children ages 0-5. 3 Day Blinds also sponsors the annual CHOC Walk, distributing both literature to increase awareness of the dangers of window coverings for children and FREE Horizontal and Vertical Blind Retrofit Kits.
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