Notably, 11% of parents are unaware of risk and could be leaving children susceptible to this critical safety hazard.
NEW YORK, NY (October 15, 2020)—A new national survey from the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) found that 89% of adult consumers, including 92% of Baby boomers (ages 56-74), 89% of Generation X (ages 40-55) and 86% of Millennials (ages 24-39), were aware of the strangulation hazard posed to infants and young children from certain window covering cords. The WCSC study was conducted in a February 2020 survey among 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older.
While 89% of consumers are aware of this dangerous issue, the 11% of adult consumers that are not familiar may unintentionally be leaving their children susceptible to window covering cord danger simply by not knowing the hazard that certain window covering cords pose. In fact, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has named window covering cords as one of the top five hidden hazards in the home, highlighting that this danger is easily overlooked.
When adults purchase new window covering products, it is critical that they take this important safety concern into consideration, as window covering cords can cause a strangulation hazard to young children, should they become entangled. The Window Covering Safety Council strongly urges families and caregivers with young children in the home to only purchase window coverings that are cordless or have cords that are inaccessible to young children.
Families shopping for new window covering products are encouraged to look for the Best for Kids label to best identify those products suited for homes with young children. Additionally, thanks to a new safety standard that went into effect in December 2018, the vast majority of window covering products sold in the United States are required to be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords. This standard applies to all stock products sold in stores and online, which comprise more than 80% of all window covering products sold in the U.S.
“Through continued public education and spreading of knowledge, we hope to inform as many adult consumers as possible about the serious risk certain window covering cords pose to young children,” says Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) Executive Director, Peter Rush. “Families are strongly encouraged to inspect their window coverings for exposed cords and to either go cordless or shorten the cords up out of children’s reach.”
For consumers who may still have corded window coverings, the Window Covering Safety Council urges replacing the corded products in homes where children live or visit and offers safety tips such as keeping cribs, beds and furniture away from window blinds.
For more information on window covering cord safety in the home, visit www.windowcoverings.org. Connect with WCSC on Facebook and Instagram for more home safety information and ideas.
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 covering 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 to support 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.