October is National Window Covering Safety Month

There are two unwritten rules in the parent-child relationship: Children will play with and around things they are not supposed to, and parents must do their best to keep their children from getting into danger.

Since October is National Window Covering Safety Month, there has never been a better time to look for hidden hazards around window areas, particularly the window cords. This national campaign, sponsored jointly by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Window Covering Safety Council, has a mission to make people aware that corded window treatments can pose entanglement and strangulation hazards to small children and pets. 

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has received reports of nearly 200 strangulation deaths involving window covering cords and chains from 1991-2000.  Nearly 10 percent of these deaths involved the inner cords, which run through horizontal blinds. On Aug. 26, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 5.5 million window coverings (spsc.gov) prompting many manufacturers to redesign cord lifting systems to enhance child safety.

The Window Covering Safety Council recommends that only cordless window treatment products be used in homes with young children. Certain styles of window coverings, like shutters, draperies and motorized roller shades have no internal cords whatsoever. The internal cords of cordless cellular shades, particularly those with smaller cells, are inaccessible to tiny fingers. 

If you are in a situation where you are unable to purchase cordless or motorized window coverings, be sure to secure dangling cords with cord cleats which are readily available and inexpensive to purchase. If your window treatment has a continuous cord loop, make certain that the cord is properly held in a cord tensioner and the tensioner is securely fastened to the wall.  Free retrokits are available to enhance the safety of looped pull cord window treatments and dangling cords (http://www.windowcoverings.org).

When designing a child’s bedroom or play area be mindful of furniture placement.  Place cribs and other low-standing furniture (beds, bookshelves, toy boxes, chairs, etc) away from windows to prevent young ones from accidentally tumbling into windows. Don’t rely on screens designed to keep bugs out to keep children and pets in. Install window guards in second story windows.

Don’t forget your furry friend either. Remove collars from pets when indoors. A local business owner recently shared a story with me about her precious pet. She came home after work to find the cord of her window blinds caught underneath the dog’s collar. Fortunately this smart fellow stayed calm, standing and did not panic avoiding severe injury or a tragic ending.

While nothing can replace the careful watch of a loving parent or caregiver, there are steps you can take to further enhance the safety of infants, toddlers, and pets. I hope you find these tips helpful, so you can make an informed decision about your window coverings.

Additional safety tips can be found at  www.budgetblinds.com/safety,  http://www.windowcoverings.org and  www.facebook.com/windowcoverings.   

Elaine Trotter is the owner of Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa in Land O’ Lakes.  For additional information visit www.facebook.com/budgetblindsgreatertampa or http://www.budgetblinds.com/LandOLakes.