Make sure your summer home, hotel or rental is both safe and fun for kids
NEW YORK, NY – Summertime is a key time for family getaways. Whether for the whole summer or just for a weekend, spending time away from home can provide unforgettable memories. When settling into your temporary living space, whether it’s a summer home, hotel or rental, dangers exists that parents need to be aware of. The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) wants to remind parents that children are especially vulnerable when traveling and are offering life saving tips to keep children safe. Be aware that window covering cords can potentially pose a strangulation hazard to infants and young children. Check your vacation rental and secure any dangling or loose cords so they are not accessible. Then, follow these steps:
- Move all furniture, cribs, chairs, beds and climbable items away from windows.
- Be sure rental cribs are in good repair and meet current safety requirements.
- Inspect the house for and dispose of medications that may have been left by the previous occupants.
- Secure household chemicals in cabinets with child locks.
- If you have a balcony, make sure all openings are properly sealed with netting, gates, or wood.
- Whenever possible, open windows from the top – instead of the bottom.
- Make sure that tasseled pull cords are as short as possible.
- Check that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords.
Homeowners, landlords and renters can order free retrofit kits for older corded window coverings on the WCSC website, or by calling WCSC’s toll-free number at 1-800-506-4636. Families can visit WCSC on Facebook and Twitter for more helpful safety tips. To learn additional information about window covering safety, visit WCSC’s website at www.windowcoverings.org.
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The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) is a coalition of major U.S. manufacturers, importers and retailers of window coverings. The Council assists and supports its members in the industry’s ongoing efforts to encourage the use of cordless products in homes with young children, its redesign of corded products, and to support the national ANSI/WCMA standard for the safety of corded window coverings. WCSC’s activities in no way constitute an assumption of any legal duty owed by its members or any other entity. Consumers wishing to retrofit rather than replace their older window coverings can order free retrofit devices through WCSC’s website at www.windowcoverings.org or its toll-free phone line at 1-800-506-4636.