One of the UK?s largest suppliers of made-to-measure blinds, Apollo Blinds is using Child Safety Week to kick start a new campaign to educate parents on the safety issues associated with cords on window blinds.
This news is very welcome as since 2000, eight children have been killed by window blind cords, with two other children narrowly avoiding death. One couple who have recently lost a child in such a tragedy is Katie and Angus McLaughlin, whose two-year old daughter died after she was found hanging in her bedroom, with the cord of a window blind wrapped around her neck.
Apollo Blinds commissioned research that revealed nearly 90% of UK homes, where small children either reside or visit on a regular basis, do not have safety devices on blind cords and chains.
Apollo?s 75 stores throughout the UK andIreland will be helping to heighten awareness about the potential strangulation hazard associated with blind hanging cords.
The move comes in the wake of recommendations by a Scottish Sheriff following the tragic death of a child in Scotland last year. His report stated that one of the biggest problems is the public?s lack of understanding of the potential risks with young children and blind cords.
Gary Chambers, general manager at Apollo Blinds, explained: ?All of our made-to-measure blinds come with a safety warning sign attached to them to alert customers to the potential dangers of looped cords, but our research has highlighted more must be done to encourage parents to keep their home safe.
?So we?re working with our team of Apollo consultants at grass roots level to ensure all customers are aware of the ease and importance of fitting blinds without cords or using additional safety products, which in some cases can cost less than a standard fitting.?
The report estimates that every year a child loses their life as a result of looped blind cords and there are up to 20 near misses. Three children have died in the past 18 months.
EuroSafe, the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, said: ?Window blinds/drapery cords are a strangulation hazard. Children become entangled in the pull cords or in the inner cords that are used to raise the slats of blinds. These entrapments can occur when a young child pulls on an inner cord and it forms a loop that a child can hang in.” Fatality tends to occur when a child has fallen and got caught up in the loop.
Advice on RoSPA’s website (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) calls for parents to prevent injury by making blinds safe. “Pull cords on curtains and blinds should be kept short and kept out of reach,” they say. It also says that most accidents in the home are preventable through increased awareness, improvements in the home environment and greater product safety.
Apollo?s Gary Chambers added: ?So that?s what we?re aiming for. We?re leading the industry with this ? heightening awareness and making sure all parents know that there are a wide range of devices and operating methods to improve the safety of blinds and ensuring Apollo Blinds is compliant with new Euro norm standards (EN13120).?
Apollo Blinds? top five simple safety tips for child-proofing window blinds, include:
1. Choose blinds without cords – e.g. vertical blinds removes the risk of strangulation as it has no chain at all. Vertical blinds simply pull across and open and close all with the wand. What?s even better that this product is 10% cheaper than standard vertical blind fittings!
2. Tie it up – Tie up the cord high enough so that your child cannot reach it.
3. Cut the cord – Whatever you do, don?t have a loop – simply Cut Window Blind Cords and use Safety Tassels to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops.
