What's the Deal: New standards for corded window blinds
You may notice a significant change the next time you go shopping for window blinds.
The Troubleshooters warned you about the dangers of corded window blinds a few years ago in a joint investigation with ABC News. From 2012-2017, 50 deaths reported to the CPSC related to infants and young kids getting strangled by corded window blinds.
It is a sobering statistic that the CPSC hopes will now be erased.
A new voluntary standard hopes to eliminate frightening scenes like this: a 4-year-old whose neck gets stuck in the cords of a window blind and loses consciousness.
The child is okay, but countless others were not so lucky. In 2015, the CPSC said corded window blinds were responsible for the death of nearly one every month for 20 years and hundreds more had been injured.
"We wanted to take an approach that would eliminate the vast majority of corded window covering products on the market," said Paul Nathanson, spokesperson for Window Covering Manufacturers Association.
Since December, all stock window coverings sold in stores and online are to be cordless or free of accessible cords.
So are retailers complying with the new rule? Action News went undercover shopping to find out.
We went to 6 major retailers and found they were all in compliance. The only question came with displays at Lowe's and Home Depot, which still have cords that a young child could grab.
"While they still might display corded window coverings, as you correctly said they are for custom order only," said Nathanson.
In statements:
Home Depot says: "The Home Depot removed all corded blinds from store shelves in 2018. To meet customer demand, blinds with cords can be custom ordered and may be displayed in some of our stores."
Lowe's says: "Customers interested in corded window covering options can still purchase them via special order."
If you do have corded blinds in your home, the CPSC says you should follow these safety tips.
- Move all cribs, beds, furniture away from windows and window cords
- Make tassled pull cords as short as possible
- Eliminate any dangling cords
- Permanently anchor continuous-looped bead chains and cords to the floor or wall
To read the full release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CLICK HERE.
-----
Send a News Tip to Action News
Learn More About 6abc Apps
