Blinds make attractive window coverings, but the dangling cords with which they are let up and down can present a hazard in the home. There are certain things you should take note of to ensure the safety of your children if you choose to have blinds.
All blinds should have a warning label
Make sure that any blind you purchase has a warning label, which should include information about how to avoid the risk the cords may pose to young children. This is a mandatory safety requirement for any blind manufacturer, so do not trust a supplier that does not have a permanent warning sticker on the blinds.
Make sure that the cords of any blinds in your house are well out of reach of children
Do not assume that children can only reach to a certain height because they are small. Children are adventurous and will often climb onto pieces of furniture, or even onto windowsills. If they slip and catch themselves in the cords of blinds, they can injure themselves, or may even be strangled. All cords should be well above the reach of any child from any position near the window.
Keep all cots and children's beds away from blinds with cords
All small children, including babies, like to play with things that dangle near them. This may include the cords from blinds. There is a risk that the child could become entangled in the cord and may strangle themselves. Make sure that your child's cot / bed, and in fact any solid furniture they may climb onto, is well away from the window and the blind's cords.
Do not use cords for blinds that have a looped end
If a child puts its head into the loop hanging at the end of a blind cord, they may stand the risk of strangling themselves. Cut any loops you may have on cords in your house, ensuring that there are two strands left hanging, in which no part of the body can become caught.
Install a safety device to prevent the cords from dangling
You can buy cleats from most hardware shops that you can use to wrap the long ends of blind cords around. These should be firmly fixed to the wall where a child cannot fiddle. There are also tensioning devices you may buy that will keep the cords under control so that children cannot play with them.
Always supervise small children in a room where the cords on the blinds hang down
If you do live in, or visit, a house that has window blinds with dangling cords in certain rooms, never leave your small children unsupervised in those rooms.
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