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Understanding The Dangers Of Designer Blinds And How To Counter Them

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Unfortunately, the dangers that lie in designer blinds are not obvious to some parents. This has led to growing concern (along with a growing death toll amongst children) amongst window treatment and family organisations around the world. Over the last few years, many blind manufacturers have redesigned their products and governments have developed new standards in an attempt to counter some of these dangers.

Many homes around the world, however, are still fitted with old, dangerous interior designs that put children (and even pets) at risk. Any products that were purchased prior to 2001 should be replaced with one of the newer options to ensure safety. New parents, especially, may not be aware of the dangers that their blinds pose – the best advice that we can offer is, if you aren’t sure whether your window treatments are safe or not, to replace them all anyway.

This might seem extreme, but when you consider that 180 children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years died in blind related incidents between January 1991 and August 2004 it seems less absurd. In almost all of these cases, the child became tangled in long, looped cords and were sadly strangled. In the cases involving infants, many were playing in their cots when their necks became entangled in the loop and were unable to escape.


There are a number of tips that you can follow to avoid some of the dangers associated with blinds, including:


· Make sure that all cots, beds, furniture and toys are kept clear of windows and cords (preferably on another wall entirely);

· Keep all cords out of reach of children, ensure that all tasseled pull-cords are short and that continuous loop cords are permanently anchored to the wall or floor;

· Consider the installation of cordless window treatments in children’s bedrooms and play areas;

· Make sure that cords are locked into position whenever blinds are being lowered, including when the come to rest on a windowsill; and

· Retrofit existing designer blinds (if they were manufactured before 2001) with cord-repair devices or replace them with newer products;


There are also a number of ways that you can secure longer cords so that they don’t pose a choking risk, including:


· Clipping the cord to itself or to the blind using a clamping device (such as a clothes peg or a specially designed cord clip);

· Wrapping or tying the cord to itself;

· Wrapping the cord to a cleat that has been securely mounted near the top of the window treatment;

· Installing a tie down device (which is useful when long looped cords are the only option);

· Making sure that cords are adjusted to their shortest length when new blinds are installed; and

· Specifying that you want a short cord or no cord option when ordering new window treatments.


Now that you are aware of the dangers associated with designer blinds cords and how you can counter them in your own home, we hope that you will take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of your children and pets. Rest assured that your children will be safe when left at daycare or school, as these organisations are required by law to use no cord blinds. Just be aware that not all homes will be as safe as yours and that supervision is required.

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