Consumer Advice - recent Edinburgh issues

Free cleats available to make blind cords safe! See below.

Edinburgh's Trading Standards team has joined forces with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to highlight potential dangers in the home, especially to young children, from the cords of window blinds.

Curtains or blinds with a chain or cord loop pose a particular risk to young children. Tragically at least one child fatality occurs in the UK every year.  

• A loop hanging at an adult's waist height - could slip around a young child's neck
• A loop at floor level could become wrapped around a crawling baby's neck
• There have also been some tragic cases in which babies have been accidentally strangled by cords hanging into their cots

Research indicates that most accidental deaths involving blind cords happen in the bedroom, and occur in children between 16 months and 36 months old, with the majority (more than half) happening at around 23 months.

These toddlers are mobile, but their heads still weigh proportionally more than their bodies compared to adults. Their muscular control is not yet fully developed, which makes them less likely to be able to free themselves if they become entangled.

In addition, toddlers' windpipes have not yet fully developed, and are smaller and less rigid than those of adults and older children. This means that they suffocate far more quickly if their necks are constricted.

As with drowning, toddlers can be strangled quickly and quietly by looped cords. This can happen even with carers in close proximity but unaware of what is happening.

To reduce the risk posed by looped cords, including blind cords, cords should be kept out of the reach of children.

Simple steps to avoid tragedy:

• When buying new blinds, particularly for a child's bedroom, look for a design that doesn't have cords or chains
• Do not put a child's cot, bed, playpen or highchair near a window. Where there are blinds with cords or chains in the house, Trading Standards advises that cords are kept tied up and out of the reach of young children, using a cleat, cord tidy, clip or tie.

As well as reviewing the risk in their own homes, parents are urged to think about other places where their children visit such as Grandparents or other relatives and the homes of child minders or friends.

If you already have blinds or curtains with cords, you should contact the company who fitted them for assistance.  If you installed the blinds yourself, or you aren't sure who originally installed them, cleats (used to secure cords) and other safety devices can be obtained from DIY stores, or most blind companies, for a small fee.

Free cleats are currently available for consumers from Edinburgh Trading Standards. Call 0131 529 3030 or email us your name and address, and tell us how many cleats you require, using 'Request for cleats' as your email subject.

Further information, including links to a video showing how easily the cleats can be fitted, is available from this page.

Download safety guidance (PDF) from the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA).

Advice for businesses on window blinds and curtain cords