The following is a blog dated July 17, 2013 from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) website located by Andrew F. Fick, Esquire, with the law firm of Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Do you live in military housing with your family? Take a look at your window blinds or other type of window coverings, including Roman shades. If you can see any dangling or accessible cords, your child is at risk.
Window coverings with exposed cords are one of the top hidden home hazards. Kids can easily and quickly wrap the cords around their necks or become entangled in the cord loops.
In fact, one child strangles in window cords nearly every month and another child is hurt. This can happen quickly and silently. Sadly, some of the incidents occurred in military housing. We want to help you and your family to be safe and secure in your home.
So, on Military Consumer Protection Day (July 17 this year), examine your window blinds, curtains and shades closely. Look for exposed, looped cords. What you find may surprise you. What you do about it can save your child’s life.
Here is how you can safeguard your windows:
- Use cordless blinds or go with blinds or shades that have inaccessible cords. Many stores have these products available for purchase right now.
- Move cribs, beds, and furniture away from windows, because children can climb on them and reach the cords on the window coverings.
- Make loose cords inaccessible, if you are unable to replace older blinds and shades.
In the past, many consumers have used free repair kits from the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) to fix their blinds that were made before November 2000. Keep in mind that these kits do not get rid of the dangling pull cord hazard with many common window blinds.
Kids and cords are a dangerous combination. So, if you have young children in your house, your safest approach is to go cordless or buy blinds with inaccessible cords.
(Source: CPSC website, On Safety blog dated July 17, 2013).
Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C. serves the injured, and their families, in Reading, Pottsville and throughout Pennsylvania. The lawyers there handle personal injury claims, including claims for injuries or death caused by unsafe or dangerous products.