May 5, 2011

Window Blinds - Do you make mistakes in your home

Blind cords continue to pose risks to young children.

The RoSPA website (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) states that most accidental deaths involving blind cords happen in the bedroom and occur with children aged between 16 months and 36 months.

To reduce the risk posed by looped cords, they should be kept out of the reach of children. There are some simple steps that you can take to reduce the risk to your child.

Install blinds that do not have a cord
Do not place a child’s cot, bed, playpen or highchair near a window
Keep pull cords on curtains and blinds short and out of reach
Tie up cords or use one of the many safety devices that are available.

In a 5 year Window Blind Research and Development project, Astley Bryden Associates were able to add to current advice helping parents and guardians assess the risks in their homes.

For the last 25 years or so, manufacturers of window blinds have installed safety features and offered tips to parents to try to minimize the dangers from their products. Even so, children continue to strangle on the cords with grim regularity, an average of two a month in USA and six in UK/Ireland 2010.

The trouble is there is no guide line as to which safety devices are best or safest so a simple test on any window blind has been introduced to help parents assess the danger where children live, play or visit.

If you can wrap a cord or chain around your hand, the blind is unsafe for children but don’t stop at loose hanging cords or chains. If there is a safety device fitted like a cleat or tensioner, try out the Wrap Around Test – if you feel a child can detach the cord or chain easily, then they probably will.

In fact there are millions of potential death traps in homes across the UK. No wonder that children have died and others have been injured across the world.

Making blinds safer is not easy because there are a number of different operating systems and 5 basic types of blinds each calling for a safety solution. So to make it simple for parents and guardians a new approach is needed.

A modern safety device needs to achieve four things:-

Firstly, is should be a Universal solution fitting all types of blinds and operating systems so parents are not confused by different claims and promises.

Secondly, it should be easy to fit and operate with no special skills needed.

Thirdly, it must stow loose and hanging cords or chains preventing them from being wrapped around your hand or a child’s neck.

Lastly, it should provide a locking mechanism similar to those used on hazardous substance packages to prevent children unraveling cords and chains.

The following video can be also be viewed at www.windowblindsafe.com