National Survey Finds 86% of Consumers are Aware of Window Covering Cord Safety Hazards

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Apr 22, 2021, 14:57 ET

NEW YORK, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey from the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) found that 86% of adult consumers are aware of the strangulation hazard certain window covering cords may pose to infants and young children. This result signifies that the vast majority of consumers know the importance of window covering cord safety. The WCSC study was conducted in a February 2021 online survey among 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older.

It is critical that as many consumers as possible are aware of the safety hazard of window covering cords, so no child is left susceptible to a potential window covering cord strangulation. In fact, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has named window covering cords as one of the top five hidden hazards in the home, highlighting that this danger could be overlooked easily.

When adults purchase new window covering products, it is critical that they take this important safety concern into consideration. The Window Covering Safety Council strongly urges families and caregivers with young children in the home to only purchase window coverings that are cordless or have cords that are inaccessible to young children.

Families shopping for new window covering products are encouraged to look for the Best for Kids™ label to identify those products suited for homes with young children. Additionally, thanks to a new safety standard that went into effect in December 2018, the vast majority of window covering products sold in the United States are required to be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords. This standard applies to all stock products sold in stores and online, which comprise more than 80% of all window covering products sold in the U.S.

"The Window Covering Safety Council wants every U.S. consumer to know the potential risk that window covering cords present and how to remove this hazard," says Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) Executive Director Peter Rush. "Families are strongly encouraged to inspect their window coverings for exposed cords and to either go cordless or shorten the cords up out of children's reach."

This national survey also identified that the majority of respondents (45%) received safety and childproofing information from friends and family, so WCSC urges families to share this critical window covering safety information widely.

For consumers who may still have corded window coverings, the Window Covering Safety Council urges replacing the corded products in homes where children live or visit and offers safety tips such as keeping cribs, beds and furniture away from window blinds.

For more information on window covering cord safety in the home, visit www.windowcoverings.org. Connect with WCSC on Facebook and Instagram for more home safety information and ideas.

Media Contact:
Brianna LaRouche
[email protected]
678.303.3054

The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) is a coalition of major U.S. manufacturers, importers and retailers of window coverings dedicated to educating consumers about window covering cord safety. The Council also assists and supports its members in the industry's ongoing efforts to encourage the use of cordless products in homes with young children, its redesign of corded products and to support the national ANSI/WCMA standard for corded window coverings. WCSC's activities in no way constitute an assumption of any legal duty owed by its members or any other entity.

SOURCE Window Covering Safety Council