NEW YORK – Countless family memories are made during summer vacations at the beach rental, lake house, family cabin or hotel. However, before unpacking and settling in, the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) urges parents and caregivers to check their summer home for any potential safety hazards to children.

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 to young children. If possible, call the landlord or rental agent prior to your trip and request that all corded window coverings be checked for safety, and replaced or retrofitted if necessary. 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.

Parents, family members and caregivers should try to protect children from unintentional household injuries and accidents by taking these preventative measures on the road to keep kids safe, healthy and happy while vacationing:

  • Pack plug protectors for unused wall outlets.
  • Inspect the house for and dispose of medications that may have been left by the previous occupants, and secure household chemicals in cabinets with child locks.
  • Move all furniture, cribs, beds and climbable items away from windows.
  • Whenever possible, open windows from the top – instead of the bottom.
  • Be sure rental cribs are in good repair and meet current safety requirements.

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 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.