Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 20, 2005 Release #06-014 |
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063 |
"Most people don't think about window coverings as something that can harm their child," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "We continue to lose children in tragic incidents due to entanglement and strangulation in older window covering cords."
Since 1991 CPSC has received reports of about 200 strangulation deaths involving cords and chains on window coverings. Most strangulation deaths involved the outer pull cords. At least 20 of these deaths involved the inner cords which run through horizontal blinds.
Outer-pull cord deaths typically involve children ranging in age from 7-months to 6-years. Inner-cord deaths typically involve children ranging in age from 9-months to 20-months who are placed in cribs or playpens located within reach of window coverings. In all cases, the children became inadvertently entangled and died from strangulation.
The window covering industry has produced redesigned products to reduce cord hazards. These redesigns have reduced the opportunity to create hazardous loops in the cords or chains. The redesigns also have featured permanently attached tie-down anchors and built-in cord stops.
Although redesigned, newer window coverings and repaired, older window coverings reduce the risk of strangulation – they have not fully eliminated the hazard. Long, dangling window cords and chains still pose a strangulation hazard for young children. Consumers should never tie window blind cords or chains together because the knot creates a new loop, in which a young child could become entangled.
During the month of October, CPSC increases its efforts to urge consumers to carefully inspect the cords and chains of all of their window coverings. Consumers also are encouraged to consider cordless coverings and other alternative window coverings, which have been recently introduced throughout the country by manufacturers. Consumers with older window coverings are urged to repair or replace their window coverings.
Consumers possessing window coverings purchased before 2001 can obtain a free repair kit from the Window Covering Safety Council's Web site at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling (800) 504-4636. Individuals also can visit www.cpsc.gov to learn more about window covering safety.
The following are window-covering safety tips offered by CPSC: