Are Your Windows Safe?

Mini Blind and Cord Cautions

By Melinda Copp

Baby-proofing your house is one of the many rites of parenting. When you have a baby or a toddler in your home, the most unobtrusive household fixtures, such as outlets and stairs, become hazards. However, many parents don't realize all the risks that some window coverings pose to babies and toddlers.

"Cords are the biggest problem with window coverings," says Joe Janokowski, member of the Window Covering Safety Council and vice president of merchandising for Hunter Douglas. "Toddlers are very innovative and they're always looking for ways to get in trouble, and a young child can easily get entangled in a cord."

Window coverings can have a number of potential hazards that many parents don't realize.

Many mini blinds and window shades use an outer cord to lift and lower the window covering. The outer cord usually hangs down from the side and gets longer when you raise the blind. This cord poses a number of safety concerns, especially older models with a looped outer cord.

"Old products don't meet the current standards," Janokowski says. Most blinds made before 1995 have a loop cord instead of two separate tassels. With a loop cord, babies and toddlers can easily get the cord wrapped around their necks and strangle themselves.

As long as your blinds are relatively new, then you probably don't have a looped outer cord. But if your home is older and you haven't updated your window coverings in the past five to 10 years, then they may have a looped outer cord.

"The older blinds are still around," says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. "If you have older blinds in your house or if you visit grandparents who haven't updated their blinds, then the risk is still there."

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