*If the blind's height is 2.5 m, then pull cords shall be 1 m. *If the blind's height is >2.5 m, then the pull cords shall be the height of the curtain minus 1.5 m. *The distance between the two strands of the loop shall be no more than 50 mm adjacent to the tensioning device. RBS System Between 1990 and 2015, more than 16,000 children were injured. Reports, analysis and official statistics. We ask consumers to ensure the safety of children & pets by periodically checking to make certain cords & chains on existing blinds in their homes have been secured in a way to prevent access by children and . Mom Natasha Ogden lost her one-year-old son Kane earlier this year after he got caught in the cords used to pull up window blinds. New Zealand has no regulations covering blind cords, despite many other countries making safety standards law to help prevent accidental strangulation. The safety kit contains a device that tensions looped cords to a window frame so they are no longer loose, reducing the likelihood of strangulation. The General Product Safety Regulations, 2005 place an obligation on all businesses to supply and professionally install Cords should end at least 1.6 metres above the ground so children cannot reach them. Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window covering cords, preferably to another wall. The CWCR recognizes any cord on a product as a corded window covering. *Allows for a breakaway system for the continuous corded . Window blind cords can be a risk to babies, small children and vulnerable people. Blinds with cords/chains longer than 200mm, where the cords can be pulled through the blinds. Risks and injuries Federal regulations dictate that a continuous cord loop must be attached securely to the wall with a tensioner or be cut into two cords with safety tassels added to the bottom of each loose cord. You can retro-fit your old blinds to make them safe in your home by following these steps: Cords ending in a loop are particularly risky. Position cleats out of the reach of young children, on an adjacent surface, and measuring a minimum of 1.5 metres up from the floor. Letting agents and landlords need to be aware of the safety regulations in order to prevent any accidents, or worse, fatalities within the home. Blinds with pull cords must meet the following regulations: Name of manufacturer or trademark must be visible on the blind. Move cots, beds and any furniture away from windows and blinds The Regulations affect all blinds, but the relevant Cord Safety Regulations only affect: Blinds with hanging cords/chains longer than 200mm. -- By the end of 2018, U.S. consumers shopping for window blinds will see only standard models without accessible cords. In 2018 the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) decided on new standards for child safety to go into effect by December 15, 2018. Place safety gates at the entrance or exit to any room that's off-limits to baby, such as a formal living room. A cleat used to secure a cord must be installed at least . You should take steps to keep your child safe because they could lose their life on a window blind cord in a few seconds. In 1996, the WCMA, in cooperation with the CPSC and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), issued a voluntary safety standard to address looped window blind cords. The Blind Cord Safety Regulations 2014 covers venetian blinds, roller blinds, vertical blinds and pleated blinds, honeycomb blinds, Roman shades, Austrian/Festoon blinds, panel blinds, plantation shutters and roll-up blinds. Lock cords into position whenever blinds or shades are lowered. Operating Chains & Cords Whatever the height at which the blind is fixed, the chain must be no less than 150cms off the floor AND secured with a complaint safety device. Blinds with pull cords. Operating Chains & Cords - The important point of calculation now becomes the installation height of the blind or track, this determines how long the chain or cord can be. Strangulation can occur when children: Learn More Welcome to Make it Safe If replacement is not possible, repair window blinds, corded shades, and draperies manufactured before 2001 with retrofit cord kits, available by emailing windowcoverings.org or calling 1-800-506-4636. Cleats should be positioned out of children's reach on an adjacent surface, at least 1.5 metres from the floor. Research and statistics. Replace cords with curtain or blind wands. Maximum cord length of 1.5 metres above the floor To keep documentation of warnings and instructions Why is blind safety important? Detailed guidance, regulations and rules. Summary Of The Key Requirements of BS EN 13120 - Child Safety For Blinds apply? . The 2014 Blind Cord Safety Regulations covers a wide range of blinds, such as roller blinds, venetian blinds, vertical blinds and more. 5 Definitions In these Regulations: cleat means a device that has a bar with arms around which a cord can be wound, and that can be attached to a wall or other structure.. cord means a rope, strap, string, chain, line or wire used to manipulate a corded internal window covering.. corded internal window covering means: . This is the first thing to remember as a responsible parent. Curtain cords can be a safety risk as they can form a loop and get tangled around the child's neck. Watch on. The cord must be secured as shown after each and every operation of the blind. The bottom loop of the chain or cord must be 150cms from the floor and secured with an Evans Textiles 781180 safety device, without the safety device the product is not . According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 50 fatalities reported between 2012 and 2017 directly related to window cord strangulation among infants and young children. Campaign for curtain cord safety. The Office of Fair Trading recommends the bottom of any blind cord is at least 160cm above the floor level. The new window covering safety regulations state that cords on any custom-made window covering cannot be longer than 40% the height of the window covering unless the customer specifically requests a . To address this risk of strangulation, the. The blinds/curtains must be installed in accordance with the installation instructions on any retail packaging for the covering. The child safety requirements of these standards run to some 40 pages but in summary the 2014 standards require: Safety devices for preventing any cords or chains from creating a hazardous loop The testing of all safety critical systems of internal blinds The testing of blinds using safety systems 12 The standard has been revised 6 times, most recently in 2014, in attempts to reduce various strangulation risks associated with different window blind cord types and . Health Canada is aware of 39 deaths in Canada concerning the strangulation hazard posed by corded window coverings since 1989. "Window covering cords should hang no lower than 160 centimeters from the ground, and should be tied up against a wall using hooks or cleats. Essentially, any free-hanging cord or tethered cord cannot be longer than 22 cm. It takes just over 22 centimetres of cord to strangle a child, 15 seconds for a child to become unconscious, and 4 minutes for brain damage to occur. There are four different types of blinds covered by the regulations. The proposed safety standard would be made as regulations under the product safety provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974, and would come into effect from 31 December 2010. Moving Furniture Away from the Windows Anchor to the floor or wall continuous-loop cords for draperies and blinds. That's nearly an average of 2 preventable injuries to a child per day. It is mandatory to carefully follow the safety guidelines and instructions. window blind cord or chain can present a real danger to young children but with awareness and by taking some simple actions, any hazard can be eliminated. despite the introduction of Blind Cord Safety Regulations in . Some blinds can't operate properly without looped cords. An industry group estimates a total of 4,900 jobs will be lost as Canadian manufacturers are forced . New Child Safety Standards - Effective December 2018. Wrap blind cords securely around a hook attached high on the wall. Quite simply, all hazardous cords, chains and loops must be removed or made safe. The basic design of many window blinds and shades has long featured cords to lift and raise the product. Make sure you always Make it Safe." "Make it Safe" It's the Law! Do not tie cords together. Make sure all of your houseplants are non-toxic varieties. New York, NY (UPDATED January 25, 2018)-The Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) announced today the approval of a new window covering safety standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) that will require a vast majority of window covering products sold in the United States and Canada to be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has determined preliminarily that custom window coverings with accessible operating cords that are longer than 8 inches pose an unreasonable risk of strangulation to children 8 years old and younger. It had not been replaced before the family arrived in 2020 despite the introduction of Blind Cord Safety Regulations in 2014. Information and Advertising Reference to Canada Consumer Product Safety Act or Regulations Effective 12-15-2018, new warning tags and labels are needed to protect custom workrooms from liability related to cords. . There have been at least 33 child deaths across the UK due to looped cords since 1999. Cords should be fastened in a figure of eight after every use of the blind, making. PDF, 497 KB, 5 pages. Ensure that cord stops are installed properly and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords. The standards for cord safety for the window treatment industry have changed again. Alternatively, blind cords can be wrapped securely around hooks attached high on the wall. Children between 1 - 3 years old are most at risk. To try to reduce the injury risk to children, there have been voluntary regulations placed on blind cords for window manufacturers for several years. They could injure or strangle themselves on looped cords and chains. Evans Roman Blind Cord Breakaways with Mike - Prevent Callbacks. In the past, these kinds of rules were only intended for operating cords. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), window blind cords are among the top five hidden hazards in US homes. Child safety advocates are cheering the decision by the Window Covering Manufacturers Association to require stock window coverings to be cordless or designed with inaccessible or short cords.. A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics found that 255 children died after getting tangled up in blind cords between 1990 and 2015, more than 16,800 kids were injured and seen in emergency . "A mandatory standard for blind and curtain cords came into effect in 2010. Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a window sill. Our guidance on ensuring quality and safety with Nuance blinds. To keep them out of children's reach you should secure these cords with either tie-downs (cleats) or tension devices that enclose cords and chain loops. However, despite this campaign and other efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of looped blind cords, the UK has actually seen a rise in deaths related to blind cords in recent years. It requires manufacturers to include a warning label about cords on the packaging and attached to the cord itself. These new rules restrict the length of reachable cords and the size of loops, applying to all indoor window coverings withRead More Until that moment, I hadn't ever . EFA 2010 007 Window cords and blinds . In reality, all cord regulations apply to all window treatments, including draperies. However, as this standard is not retrospective, curtain and blinds that were installed prior to 2010 still need to be made safe. New Voluntary Standards. Cleat This should be securely fixed to an adjacent surface out of the reach of children and at least 1.5 metres from the floor. Without this device the blind is not compliant, even if the chain is 150cms or more off the floor. . Cords on blinds (and also curtains) that are elsewhere in the home should be kept short and out of reach of children - tie up the cords or use one of the many cleats, cord tidies, clips or ties that are available Do not place a child's cot, bed, playpen or highchair near a window Do not hang toys or objects that could be a hazard on a cot or bed Cords may become wrapped around a child's neck. Health Canada's 'confusing and unworkable' regulations spur fight with window blind industry . Blind cord safety. This new . American National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products (ANSI/WCMA A.100.1) provides requirements that address strangulation hazards associated with the continuous cord loops, inner cords, and cord joiners of window covering products. Always fix tie-downs and tension devices firmly to the wall or window-frame to prevent a child from remove them. When did BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014 come into effect? I remember a fellow mom mentioning the safety risk corded blinds present back when I was pregnant a few years ago. Examine all blinds in the publicly accessible areas particularly school and hospitals to identify those that need to be made safer 2. Make sure that cords do not twist and create a loop. Some plants are extremely. To keep them out of children's reach you should secure these cords with either: tie-downs (cleats) 1600mm above the ground, or tension devices that secure cords and chain loops, which cannot form a loop of more than 220mm. The corded internal window covering must be also be installed in accordance with the installation instructions on any retail packaging for the covering Blind cord safety has been on the agenda for some time, with RoSPA leading a long-term campaign to improve saftey. This measure was introduced to reduce hazards caused by blinds with cords or chains. The regulations would specify the following safety requirements for the supply of cord operated interior window coverings: 1. Avoid low-hanging cords Make sure the bottom of any blind or curtain cord is at least 160cm above the floor. Any cord that is longer, such as inner cords, cannot produce a loop larger than 44 cm when a specific pull force is applied. It had not been replaced before the family arrived in 2020 despite the introduction of Blind Cord Safety Regulations in 2014. The coroner said there had been some efforts. Window Blind Safety Regulations | Blind Cord Safety Laws - Safety Habit To avoid this, most importantly follow blind cord safety kit. Window Blind Cords, whether single pull cords or looped cords can not be longer than 22 centimeter (Approx 8 inches) when operated. Brief Guide to 2014 Blind Safety Regulations. Samantha Cox, a member of Oldham Council's environmental health team . 1. Fasten up all cords in a figure of eight after using a blind. Kane died after becoming tangled in a blind cord Credit: MEN Media. The mandatory standard for blinds, curtains and window fittings (in place from 30th December 2010) requires all new window furnishings to come with warning labels and to be installed with tensioning devices. Not to mention my child safety is my number one priority. The corded internal window covering must be installed in a way that ensures a loose cord cannot form a loop 220 mm or longer at or less than 1,600 mm above floor level. No part of a cord guide or a loose cord may hang lower than 1600mm above floor level, unless the cord guide will remain firmly attached to the wall when a tension force of 70N is applied for 10 seconds in any direction, and the loose cord is secured to prevent the formation of a loop 220mm . Blinds with hanging cords/chains longer than 200mm installed less than 1.5m above floor level. Get a quote The reason for the. Samantha Cox, a member of Oldham Council's environmental health team, told the hearing the blind was not identified as a risk when the landlord . To this end, the newest and highly anticipated window covering child safety regulations go into effect December 15, 2018. Install safety devices For older blinds, install a cord tensioning device, such as cord holders and wind-ups, to hold the cord tight against a wall. Blind Cord Safety Regulations 2014 Regulations imposed 31st March 2014 placed obligations on manufacturers and Landlord's to supply blinds in line with the below requirements, in the interest of child safety. What is in the safety kit The safety kit contains five plastic devices with screws and instructions. The new regulations restrict the length of the cords and the size of the loops found on window coverings sold in Canada. Cut the cord to get rid of the loop and install tassels. The Royal Children's Hospital Safety Centre has joined forces with Consumer Affairs Victoria to launch a statewide safety campaign about the dangers from blind and curtain cords to children. Product hazard warnings Reduce cord and chain lengths where possible so that there is a minimum distance of 1.5m between the bottom of the chain/cord loop and the floor. To avoid strangulation and entanglement, keep cords out of the reach of young children. Be aware that the release of small parts can cause a child to choke if swallowed. Public Buildings Blinds in public buildings as well as accessible areas of commercial premises and other buildings must be safe. You can get tie-downs and tension devices from hardware or window furnishing stores. (a) the length of the resulting cord must not exceed 22 cm; and (b) the perimeter of the loop that is created must not exceed 44 cm. , cots and furniture away from windows and window covering cords, preferably to another wall if.. 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