Ask the Expert

I have never thought of the blinds in my home as a "Hidden Hazard". How can they be a danger?

Over the years due to cord systems as well as faulty installations a concern of strangulation for both children and pets has prompted a serious focus on offering cordless options.

How would I know if I had blinds that could pose a problem and furthermore if they were or were not properly installed?

If in doubt reach out to a professional window covering dealer for an audit. In addition, a professional consultant can present cordless product options if replacement is suggested. Parents can also get safety tassels and tie downs by calling the Window Covering Safety Council toll free at 1-800-506-4636. For safety information on window cords, call the CPSC Hotline at 1-800-638-2772.

What are other concerns that I should consider?
As the industry moves toward a full line of cordless options for safety, ease of use and beautification, this can possibly affect resale of a home at some point.

A Report by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission released the following details:
About half of the deaths of children who strangle in window cords have not been reported, according to an article in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association and co-authored by a staff member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The study found that 49 percent of the total number of window cord strangulations in the United States were not being reported to the CPSC. The study estimates that total number from 1981 to 1995 was 359. These figures mean that nearly one child is strangling in window cords every two weeks. Almost all of these deaths (93 percent) are children three years old and under.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission focuses its attention on the hundreds of young lives that could be saved.

The study shows that strangulation deaths from window cords happen most often when children are in places their parents think are safe: in a crib or in a child's bedroom. The study also points out that the deaths are silent -- the children can't call out for help. In 85 percent of the documented cases, parents were at home at the time of the incident.

According to the study, there are two common ways children strangle in these cords. Infants in cribs near windows get tangled in the looped cords while sleeping or playing; and toddlers, trying to look out a window, climb on furniture, lose their footing, and get caught in the window cords.

Child safety is serious business.
From cordless and motorized operating systems, retractable lift cords, cord tensioners and wand controls, we offer a wide array of lifting system options for enhanced child and pet safety.
The inherent cordless design of our PowerView® Motorization system provides you and your family with the ultimate in operating convenience and enhanced safety at the window. Explore the possibilities of PowerView.
The window coverings industry uses warning tags, labels, and other methods to communicate the potential hazards of corded window coverings. The warning shown here, for example, communicates the important message about cords being a potential strangulation hazard and suggests choosing cordless or inaccessible-cord alternatives. For more info and repair kits for other window covering products, visit the Window Covering Safety Council website. 
A detailed chart of safety options across our products can be found in our Safety Reference Chart.

Thank you, Georgia Blinds & Interiors for providing this answer. Georgia Blinds & Interiors is located at 220 Sandy Springs Circle NE, Suite 129 in Sandy Springs, GA 30328. They are on Facebook and can be reached by phone: 404-252-6991 or e-mail.