National Window Covering Safety Month Set for This October

Important Safety Tips for Parents

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the window covering industry will again co-sponsor a month-long educational campaign in an effort to increase awareness of potential window-cord dangers this October. This year marks the fourth-annual Window Covering Safety Month.

Parents are being urged to use cordless window products in rooms where young children sleep and play, and officials are recommending that parents replace corded blinds, shades and drapes purchased before 2001 with today's safer products.

According to information provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, since 1991, more than 175 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords.

The campaign will once again focus around the slogan "KIDS, CORDS, CAUTION." This message will be displayed in retail stores around the country, and will help serve as a reminder for parents to replace or retrofit older corded window coverings. Child and consumer safety groups, health organizations and housing authorities have been asked to join in the educational effort.

"With cord-safety features now built right into window coverings, parents can feel more confident about their child's safety by replacing older window coverings with the newer products now available," explained Peter Rush, executive director of the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC). "Using Cordless window coverings in children's bedrooms and play areas is also a highly recommend safety precaution that parents should consider."

Consumers wishing to retrofit rather than replace their older window coverings can order free retrofit devices through WCSC's Web site at www.windowcoverings.org or its toll-free phone line at 1-800-506-4636.

In recent years, the window covering industry has redesigned its corded products and developed cord-safety standards to respond to child strangulation concerns. However, consumers have not retrofitted millions of older corded window coverings, and many new parents are sometimes unaware of potential cord dangers.

To maximize window-cord safety when children under the age of six are present, consumers are urged to follow these safety rules:

-- Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.

-- Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short, that continuous- loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall and that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.

-- Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.

-- Consider installing cordless window coverings in children's bedrooms and play areas.

-- Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today's safer products or retrofit them with cord-retrofit devices.

The Window Covering Safety Council is a coalition of major U.S. manufacturers, importers and retailers of window coverings.

Note to Editors: Line illustrations and captions describing how to retrofit older window blinds can be downloaded at www.windowcoverings.org/media.

Newswire by Market Wire