Six Companies Recall Blinds, Shades After Deaths

Children Consumer Product Safety Commission Six companies are recalling millions of window
blinds and shades following the deaths of three children who got
caught in cords that move the coverings up and down.

by Associated Press

Published: Wed, August 26, 2009 - 11:02 am CST Last Updated: Wed, August 26, 2009 - 11:04 am CST

WASHINGTON (AP) - Six companies are recalling millions of window
blinds and shades, following the deaths of three children who got
caught in cords that move the coverings up and down.
The recalls were announced Wednesday by the Consumer Product
Safety Commission. The three deaths involved blinds or shades made
or imported by Vertical Land Inc. in Florida and Lewis Hyman Inc.
in California.
In one case, a one-year-old was killed when he became entangled
and strangled in the lift cord loop of a roll-up blind that had
fallen into his portable crib.
Pottery Barn Kids and IKEA are also recalling window shades and
blinds, but no deaths were associated with those companies. The
CPSC says there have been six reports of children becoming
entangled in the inner cord of the Pottery Barn Kids shades.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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RNuts Says:

Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 12:05 pm

Dixie, I see what you mean. I was thinking about just the pull cords hanging down.

dixiebelle365 Says:

Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm

RNuts, in some cases, that is very true. However, in this case, it is the way the blinds are engineered that is the problem. These are virtually impossible to baby-proof and have the blinds remain functional at all. There is no extra string until a loop is formed when the blinds are raised. It’s not a pull-cord that can be tied to make shorter. It’s a loop of excess cord that’s created when the blinds are raised. You can see it in the picture.

These are just fine if you have no chance of having small children in the house. But, if you DO have small children or the potential to have them visit, it would cost thousands of dollars to replace these with comparable blinds. I guess another option would be to put yourself and your family on display to the whole neighborhood by permanently raising these blinds (which would be the case if you tied up the loop of excess cord).