Housekeeping · 집안 안전

Six steps to reduce window-blind cord hazards around children

Accessible window-covering cords can strangle children. Cordless coverings are safest; temporary fixes do not eliminate the risk.

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Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Anja Kříbek / Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0. See the individual file page and license for attribution and reuse terms. · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends cordless window coverings wherever children may be present. Entanglement can occur quickly and silently. Checking existing cords only reduces risk and does not replace cordless products.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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1. Check every blind, shade and drape for accessible pull cords, loop cords and inner cords throughout the home.
2. Prioritize replacing coverings in rooms used by children with products specifically labeled cordless.
3. Until replacement, move cribs, beds, sofas, chairs and toys away from windows and cords so children cannot climb to them.
4. Keep remaining pull cords as short and inaccessible as the manufacturer's instructions allow. Simply tying them up high does not remove the hazard.
5. Use manufacturer-approved tension devices for continuous loops and inspect inner-cord stops as directed; avoid improvised modifications.
6. Recheck every room and homes children visit; stop using damaged coverings. Ask the maker or a qualified installer about uncertain fittings.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionWindow Covering Cords — Go Cordless ↗Official safety center: cordless eliminates accessible cord strangulation hazard; interim precautions reduce but do not eliminate it.U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionGo Cordless with Window Coverings to Avoid Risk of Strangulation ↗CPSC release lists short cords, inner cord stops, tension devices, and move climbable furniture away from cords.Wikimedia CommonsRoller blind.jpg — file license ↗Photo by Anja Kříbek under CC BY-SA 4.0; not a safety demonstration.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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