NEW YORK– Summer is coupled with sun and fun for the family, but what can parents do to help ensure that their children stay safe while enjoying the beautiful weather? The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) urges parents and caregivers to follow these six simple tips to help protect children from potentially harmful hazards. 1. Check window coverings for exposed cords that could pose a strangulation hazard to infants and young children. Replace corded blinds, shades and draperies with today’s cordless safer products. If you cannot install newer products, order a free window cord retrofit kit from www.windowcoverings.org or call toll-free at 1-800-506-4636. 2. To prevent any potential falling accidents, open windows from the top instead of from the bottom. Window guards and stoppers are strongly suggested for homes with children under the age of eleven. Be sure all are firmly secured and installed properly. 3. Keep furniture, cribs, beds or anything children can climb on away from windows. Children may use such objects as a climbing aid. 4. Keep kids cool. To avoid heat-related illnesses, make sure to dress children properly for the weather. In warm weather, children should be dressed in lightweight, light-colored clothing to help reflect some of the sun’s energy. In addition to using sunscreen, hats or an umbrella help shield the sun’s rays. 5. Make sure the sunscreen, bug repellent, gardening and pool aids are all put away out of children’s reach. 6. Parents should always carry water for their children to keep them hydrated. Children should take interval breaks from playing to drink. For more safety tips and information on window cord safety, connect with WCSC on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for more home safety ideas, and to help pass safety on.
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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 having need 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.