Go Cordless This National Window Covering Safety Month

(BPT) – Every parent with young children likes to make sure their home is as safe as it possibly can be. Even though you have taken the time to childproof your home, no parent can think of everything. Hidden hazards that pose a potential safety risk to your child may still be in your home without you realizing it. One of these hidden hazards that needs to be brought to the attention of parents and caregivers is corded window coverings.

October is National Window Covering Safety Month. National Window Covering Safety Month is meant to highlight the potential dangers of corded window coverings and increase awareness of the potential strangulation hazard that exposed cords can present to young children. This month, The Window Covering Safety Council is asking you to take a minute to look at your window coverings and the window coverings in the home of any caregivers of your child. If you find any corded window coverings, do what’s best for kids and go cordless!

Below is a list of window covering safety tips you should follow to make sure your kids are as safe as possible.

1. Check your home and the home of caregivers for window coverings with a tassel cord or a continuous loop. These cords could pose a risk of accidental entanglement and should be replaced as soon as possible. In the meantime, move all furniture, cribs, and toys as far away from the corded window coverings as possible and make sure you pull the tassel cord as short as possible while purchasing replacements.
2. Make sure you purchase cordless window coverings. Cordless window coverings are newer, safer window covering products easily available on the market today. They have become the safety standard for window coverings. These safer, cordless window coverings have no cords, no operating cords and inner cords that are not accessible, or if accessible inner cords are present in products with no operating cords, the accessible inner cords cannot create a hazardous loop.
3. Look for the Best for Kids^TM Certification Label when purchasing window coverings. Finding cordless window coverings is easier than you think. Just look for the Best for Kids^TM Label on the package of any window coverings you plan to purchase. This certification shows that the window coverings have gone through a series of laboratory tests to ensure they are safer products to use around children. Products with this label are available at all major retailers.
4. Make sure your cordless window coverings are properly installed. After you’ve purchased your cordless window coverings, the next step is to install them. Make sure your children are out of the room when you are installing the cordless window coverings and properly follow all directions included with the product. After they are hung up, look at them to make sure that everything is set up properly and no inner parts are exposed.
5. Check the window coverings of your child’s caregiver(s). Chances are that your child does not spend all day at your house and may stay with a caregiver from time to time. Check their home(s) to make sure their window coverings are cordless as well. If not, educate them about the potential hazard of corded window coverings and encourage them to go cordless.

Spread the word on cordless window coverings this National Window Covering Safety Month. Remind all your friends with young children to check their window coverings. If they find they have corded window coverings, encourage them to do what’s best for kids and go cordless!