NEW YORK, NY – A February 2012 survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for the Window Covering Safety Council concluded that 89 percent of Americans surveyed are aware that pull-cords on certain drapes and window blinds can pose a strangulation hazard to infants and young children.

In addition, 78 percent of Americans surveyed were aware of a potential hazard associated with the interior cords running through the slats of some window blinds. The Caravan® survey was based on interviews conducted in January of 2012 with 509 men and 505 women, 18 years of age and older, and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes.

To maximize window-cord safety when young children are present, the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) urges parents and caregivers to follow these window-cord safety guidelines:

  • Move all furniture, cribs, beds and climbable surfaces away from windows.
  • Keep all window cords well out of the reach of children.
  • Install only cordless window coverings in homes with young children.
  • Make sure tasseled pull cords are as short as possible. Continuous-loop pull cords on draperies and vertical blinds should be pulled tight and anchored to the floor or wall.
  • Be sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit inner-cord movement.

To learn more about window-cord safety, or to order free retrofit kits for older corded window coverings, go to the WCSC’s web site 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 dedicated to educating consumers about window cord safety. The Council also 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 its support of the national ANSI/WCMA standard for corded window coverings.  WCSC’s activities in no way constitute an assumption of any legal duty owed by its members or any other entity.