Practice safety with window treatments

Since 1990 more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidental strangulation by window cords. Visit the WCSC website and get educated. Child proof your home. Many functional window treatments involve unsafe cords. Cords can be a chocking hazard.

Many people have blinds or shades installed near a crib or a child's bed. If these shades or blinds have dangling cords that are not tied down they can be extremely dangerous to a toddler or small child. We do not recommend that any shade or blind be installed in a toddler or child's room.


Here are some safety tips regarding cords and window treatments from the Window Coverings Safety Council.

• Install only cordless window coverings in young children's bedrooms and play areas. Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today's safer products.
  
• Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.


• Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall. Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.


• Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.
  

Hunter Douglas offers numerous alternatives to double or loop cords on window treatments. PowerRise is a motorized lifting system that is battery operated. LiteRise is a cordless lifting system in which a shade can be raised simply by lifting the bottomrail. Ultraglide is a lifting system which has only a single cord in which the shade is lifted by using a pumping action on the cord. Visit Hunter Douglas website to read more details regarding these innovative lifting systems.