October Kicks Off National Window Covering Safety Month

Parents and Caregivers reminded to be aware of the potential dangers of window blind cords

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Oct 01, 2010, 10:17 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to keep young children safe, the Window Covering Safety Council and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have teamed up to remind parents and caregivers that October is National Window Covering Safety Month. This campaign focuses on raising awareness of the potential strangulation hazards that window cords can pose to young children and toddlers. Parents and caregivers are urged to use only cordless window coverings in homes with young children.

According to information provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, since 1990 more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords.

"Parents who replace their older window coverings with the new cordless products can feel more confident about their child's safety," explains Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) Executive Director, Peter Rush.

In recent years, the window covering industry has redesigned its corded products and developed cord-safety standards. However, millions of older corded window coverings have not been retrofitted by consumers and many new parents are sometimes unaware of potential cord dangers.

National Window Covering Safety Month will emphasize the following basic window-cord safety rules from WCSC:

Install only cordless window coverings in homes with young children. Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today's safer products.
Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall. Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.
Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.

The Window Covering Safety Council is a coalition of major U.S. manufacturers, importers and retailers of window coverings. The Council has been instrumental in the industry's redesign of corded products, supporting the national ANSI/WCMA standard for the safety of corded window coverings, and encouraging the use of cordless products in children's rooms and play areas. Consumers wishing to retrofit rather than replace their older window coverings can order free retrofit devices through WCSC's website at www.windowcoverings.org or its toll-free phone line at 1-800-506-4636.

Note to Editors: Line illustrations and captions describing how to retrofit older window blinds can be downloaded at http://www.windowcoverings.org/media.

Contact: Todd Costello: 212.291.2109

SOURCE Window Covering Safety Council