The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window
Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are announcing today a voluntary recall
to repair all Roman shades and roll-up blinds to prevent the risk of
strangulation to young children. This recall involves millions of Roman
and roll-up blinds. About five million Roman shades and about three
million roll-up blinds are sold each year.
CPSC
has received reports of five deaths and 16 near strangulations, since
2006, in Roman shades and three deaths, since 2001, in roll-up blinds.
Strangulation in Roman shades can occur when a child places his/her
neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of
the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around
his/her neck. Strangulation in roll-up blinds can occur if the lifting
loop slides off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes
entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck
between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.
Consumers who have Roman or roll-up shades in their homes should contact the WCSC immediately at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling (800) 506-4636 anytime to receive a free repair kit.
To
help prevent child strangulation in window coverings, CPSC and the WCSC
urge parents and caregivers to follow these guidelines:
- Examine all shades and blinds in the home. Make
sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the
product. CPSC and the WCSC recommend the use of cordless window
coverings in all homes where children live or visit. - Do not place cribs, beds, and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to the cords.
- Make loose cords inaccessible.
- If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.
To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10073.html.
