Each year there are children with window related injuries that are admitted to hospitals. Fortunately these accidents are preventable with just a couple of easy safety measures for your blinds and awnings.
The following some of the most significant safety devices you should use if you are concerned about safety around windows.
The majority of blinds manufactured before 2001 may not meet the current child safety regulations because older blinds incline to have long cords that sometimes form a loop. A long looped cord is a danger to a child’s safety as children can easily get twisted up in the cord and strangle themselves. Some of the older blinds have cords without stoppers, which make them reachable to children. Horrible accidents usually occur to infants and toddlers who are placed near a window. Luckily strangulation by blind cord deaths are preventable with modern blinds. Since blinds acquired before 2001 posture the greatest strangulation risk, there are things you can do to prevent this. You can buy an upgrade kit that will contain safety tassels and stoppers for your older roller blinds, or the greatest act you can take is to fit new roller blinds that are complete with child safety devices.
Since its launch in 2009 the Make It Safe campaign has campaigned for safer window blinds and the promotion of safety for all window treatments including awnings
Changes have been required in the way internal blinds are made, traded and professionally installed. The guidelines place a legal responsibility on all suppliers and professional installers to achieve a number of things:-
- To provide safety devices to all blinds to reduce the risk of any cords or chains forming a dangerous loop;
- To test all safety critical items of window treatments to ensure safety;
- Test blinds using safety devices used by professional fitters;
- Observe maximum cord and chain lengths
- Provide specific warnings and instructions on instillation and usage.
- Provide information on packaging and at point of sale about safety of window treatments;
- To fit safety devices when professionally installing blinds
There are now widespread ranges of blind and awning products that are safe by design, meaning that they do not use operating cords or chains or have concealed or tensioned cords. It is strongly recommended that these are always considered first when buying new blinds or awnings for homes or public buildings.
When fitting blinds and awnings, you should:-
- make sure that you follow the installation instructions carefully and ensure safety devises are correctly installed;
- Do not a Child’s cot, bed or playpen near to a window blind.
- Ensure all cords and chains are always out of reach of babies and young children.
- Do not tie cords or chains together. Take care cords or chains do not twist together and create a loop.
- Do not put furniture near to a window blind as children can climb.
Overall, if correctly installed blinds and awnings have in recent years been made very safe for everyone to enjoy in their home.