IKEA Recalls Roller Blinds, all Roman Blinds and all Roll-Up Blinds Due to Risk of Strangulation

Expands previous recalls of Roman and roller blinds and has added its name to the retailers joining the voluntary recall announced in December 2009 (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10077.html) of ALL Roman shades and roll-up blinds.

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following product. Consumers should stop using products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO)

Name of Product: Roller, Roman, and Roll-Up blinds

Units: About 3,360,000 (About 790,000 Roman blinds were recalled in November 2008 and August 2009 and about 533,000 Roller blinds were recalled in October 2009)

Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Hazards:

Roller Blinds

Strangulations can occur if the blind's looped bead chain is not attached to the wall or the floor with the tension device provided and a child's neck becomes entangled in the free-standing loop.

Roman Blinds

Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. An additional hazard exists when the Roman blind has a continuous looped bead chain that is not attached to the wall or floor, which poses a strangulation hazard to children.

Roll-up Blinds

Strangulations can occur if the lifting loops slide off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

Incidents/Injuries:

Roman blinds: CPSC and IKEA received a new report of a 1 1/2-year old boy in Lowell, Massachusetts who suffered a near strangulation on February 28, 2010. On April 4, 2008, a 1-year old girl in Greenwich, Conn. became entangled in the inner cord of an IKEA Roman blind and strangled. CPSC and IKEA also received a report of a 2-year old boy who suffered a near strangulation. The last two incidents prompted previous recalls.

Roll-up blinds: No incidents reported.

Roller blinds: No incidents reported.

Description: This recall involves roller blinds that do not have a tension device attached to the bead chain, all Roman blinds and all roll-up blinds.  

Sold at: IKEA stores nationwide from January 1998 through June 2009 for between $5 and $55.

Manufactured in: India, Estonia, China, and Poland.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the roller blinds that do not have a tension device attached to the chain, all Roman blinds and all roll-up blinds and return them to any IKEA store for a full refund. In a previous recall, IKEA reminded consumers who have roller blinds with a tension device attached to the bead chain to make sure the tension device is installed into the wall or floor. If the consumer has difficulty installing the tension device, contact IKEA for additional information.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm's website at www.ikea-usa.com

Note: Examine all shades and blinds in your home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC recommends the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product.  Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from over about 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.  Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $800 billion annually.  The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or re-sell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772, teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this press release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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