Window Blind Child Safety is important as ignoring it could be a potential hazard for young children as the cords and chains that are used to operate the blinds can be a cause of strangulation risk. According to the UK government’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), corded and chain operated window blinds have been responsible for the deaths of at least 26 children in the UK since 1999, and many more children have been injured. To keep your children safe, it’s important to take some precautions and ensure that your window blinds are secure.
One simple step you can take to reduce the risk of cord-related accidents is to keep all window blind cords out of reach of children. This can be done by securing the cords or chains to the wall or the window frame using cord cleats or chain retainers such as D-Clip’s or P-Clips. Cord cleats are small devices that can be attached to the wall or the window frame and are used to wrap the cords around, keeping them out of reach. Chain Retainers are designed for chain operated blinds and can also attach to the wall or window frame. We supply two types of Chain Retainers; D-Clips, which attach chains permanently to the wall and P-Clips, which hold the chain but allow the chain to be easily removed if necessary. At tulip, we offer both kinds in adhesive and screw fitted options. You may also be able to add a Chain Breaker to your existing chain if your blind uses a 1:1 ratio drive. This device is designed to allow the chain to ‘snap’ in the event of exertive pressure applied and can be ‘re-coupled’ again to complete the chain loop.
Another option to consider is installing cordless window blinds or shades. These types of blinds and shades do not have cords and are therefore much safer for children. Cordless blinds and shades can be operated using a variety of mechanisms, such as a wand, a spring-loaded rod, or a motorised system, and they do not have any cords that children can get caught in. Cordless blinds and shades can be more expensive than their corded counterparts, but they provide an extra level of safety that is worth considering, especially if you have young children at home. Tulip manufacture a range of blinds such as motorised roller blinds, our spring tensioned ezyRoller Roller Blinds, Pleated Blinds and our Roman Blinds. To order from our range of window blinds, please contact your local Tulip trade partner from our website.
If you have older window blinds with cords or chains and are not ready to replace them, you can consider retrofitting them with cord or chain safety devices. These devices can be attached to the cords and help prevent them from forming loops or becoming something that children can get caught in.
We also stock a range of safety cord adjusters, cord accumulators and cord breakers for Roman Blinds which is ideal if you wish to replace a part or to upgrade your roman blind in order to meet child safety requirements.
For more details on our child safety devices, view our available products below.
