While childproofing your home, remember your window areas. Access to windows and dangling window treatment cords can pose a serious safety hazard to children and small pets. The Window Covering Safety Council urges parents and caregivers to be smart, safe and install only cordless window coverings in young children’s bedrooms and sleeping areas.
Bali Blinds offers the following advice:
• Install only cordless window treatments in rooms where young children sleep- don’t forget about grandparent’s homes and daycare too.
• When decorating the nursery, set up furniture such as cribs, changing tables and bureaus away from windows so the furniture cannot be used to access window treatments. Placing furniture away from the window also minimizes the risk of the child accidentally falling through an open window or the risk of injury from broken glass if the window is shattered.
• Replace blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured prior to 2001 with today’s safer products.
• Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of reach of children.
• Make sure tasseled pull cords are short and cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of the inner lift cords.
• Permanently anchor continuous-loop cords to the floor or wall.
• Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a window sill.
On Bali Blinds Facebook page, Bali experts can answer your specific questions and offer recommendations to help you make an informed decision about your window coverings.
Safety information and free retrofit kits to update older blinds are available through the Window Coverings Safety Council by calling 1-800-506-4636 or by visiting their website at windowcoverings.org. You can also access the WCSC at baliblinds.com/safety.
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