Your window blinds are primarily there to block out unwanted light, give you privacy when you need it and look great, complementing your surroundings and providing the ultimate finishing touches to your room. However, although they look pretty, they can pose unforeseen dangers to small children and animals in the home that can be serious if there are no safety measures in place to prevent this from occurring.
Loose dangling cords or chains from blinds can be far too tempting for children and animals to resist playing with – especially cats who love to play with anything that hangs down like cords or tassels. Yet the chance of injury such as entanglement, strangulation and even fatal accidents runs so high that supervision is an absolute must!
RoSPA, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, carried out research revealing that since 1999, there have been at least 27 fatalities related to blinds in the UK. In light of this, in 2004 RoSPA announced the Make It Safe campaign which asked the blind industry to take action in an effort to reduce the risk of blind cords for those like young children and small pets by raising awareness to the safety risk that it poses, as well as researching into altering the actual design of blinds. In order to make this notion a reality, RoSPA have been working closely with a number of institutions including:
- CEN – The European Committee for Standardisation.
- BIS – The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
- BBSA – The British Blind and Shutter Association.
- CAPT – The Child Accident Prevention Trust.
Since working with these organisations, the new standards created are there to make sure that all blinds follow safety regulations and are installed so they’re 100% safe in terms of the way they have been designed. This also includes the installation of a child safety device at the time of the fitting.
Owners responsibility
So the question is; what can you do to introduce blind safety into your home and protect your children and animals from the dangers of blind cords?
- Shorten the cord so it’s out of reach from small children and animals.
- Install a safety device.
- If you’re having new blinds installed, opt for the cordless blind, particularly in the children’s rooms as you won’t always be there when they first wake up in the morning or in the middle of the night to supervise them.
- Keep your child’s cot, bed or highchair well away from the window so there is no chance of them being able to reach the cord.
- Keep all your blinds and their cords in good condition, this way you can avoid any fraying and general wear and tear.
- Read the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer.
For further information about blinds or blind safety in the home, please get in touch with the friendly team here at Angel Blinds and Shutters, the experts in supplying and fitting excellent quality blinds.