October is National Window Covering Safety Month
Safety Month
We expect parents to cover electrical outlets, put gates on stairs, and childproof their doors and cabinets, but we often forget about the hidden danger of the cords from window coverings.
Yet the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes, with infants and children (and family pets) accidentally becoming entangled in window cords. A serious accident can only take seconds.
That’s why the CPSC and Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are urging parents and caregivers to check their window coverings for exposed and dangling cords as part of National Window Covering Safety Month.
Revised Safety Standard June 2024
More window covering products sold in the United States will be cordless or have inaccessible or short helper cords as result of a revised safety standard that went into effect on June 1, 2024.
“The revised standard, ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022, is the strongest safety standard in the world. The elimination of free hanging operating cords, free hanging tilt cords and multiple cords into a cord connector on all custom window covering products is a direct result of ongoing industry innovation, technological advances, and new product development,” said Ralph Vasami, Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) Executive Director.
More information on the new standard can be found here.
Safety Tips
The WCSC urges parents to replace window blinds, corded shades, and draperies with products that are cordless or have inaccessible cords marked with the Best for Kids™ certification label. The label enables you to easily identify products best suited for homes with young children. You can also retrofit older window coverings for child safety.
Keep these safety tips in mind when you’re visiting family and friends who might not have young children in the home. A roll of blue painter’s tape comes in handy for a quick temporary fix of taping cords to the woodwork.
Looking to update your window coverings? Stop by one of our retail stores or arrange a FREE in-home consultation with one of Hirshfield’s Window Treatment Designers. The Shop at Home service is available in six key marketplaces and surrounding areas: Twin Cities, Rochester, Alexandria, Brainerd Lakes Area, St. Cloud and Fargo/Moorhead.
Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.
