Warning about loop cord blinds.

[LouiseB]

I was reading a magazine yesterday and there was a very sad story about a mother who left her son asleep on the sofa, popped upstairs and came back downstairs to find her little lad hanging from the cord of her blinds.

He died.

Apparently loop cords blinds are banned in the US but not in the UK and it was such a sad story and i hadn't a clue so i thought i'd pass it on just incase.

http://www.harrisonslaw.co.uk/

 

[xx emma xx]

I've heard about them before being dangerous. Watched a diy programme one day and they were doing up a nursery and what they did was tie the loop up so it hung too high for baby or toddler to reach it. It was only accesible to an adult xx

 

[Princess81]

OMG I never would have thought about that, we have them everywhere in our house! Thanks Louise, I shall remember that one x

 

[megsmeadow]

The ikea ones have a little plastic fixture that you attach to the side of the window and the cord loop runs through it, I'm not sure how much safer it makes them though!

 

[teampc]

Strange you shoudl bring this up at the mo
we sell curtain rails and pelmets, and have been looking into adding blinds, and one of the big things I have been asking about was safety for kids because of this exact problem.

As above you can get these little plastic things that screw into the wall and the cord runs in them, the idea being that it holds the cord tight so that its not dangling causing a strangling hazard.

there is also another version (although I dont know if you can buy it to retro fit or if you have to get it with new blinds) this works with the beaded cords, and it fits onto the join of the beads and is designed to come apart if a certain weight/pressure is put on it.


and finally we are trying to develop a complete cordless system, but I believe there are some other similar systems available out there where you pull the blind up and down, also I dont know if any of you have heard of them but there is a range of instant blinds that stick up and you use clips to hold them open so there are no cords involved with them either


if you are getting new blinds fitted its worth speaking to the shop and saying you want ones with safety features for children, lots of places are catching onto it now and I believe it wont be long before we follow the usa by banning any 'non' safety versions

 

[tinytoes]

Thats really good to remember , thanks . I dont know if I would have thought of that

 

[midnight]

i have the bead cord that breaks if pressure applied i only have them in the kitchen and they would have to be climbing to get to them i had vertical blinds in my old how all controlled by a rod rather that pulling string

 

[FebMum2Be]

I read this too, utterly heartbreaking. I have 4 different blinds with the loop, unfortunately I can't cut them because our home is rented and they are not our property.. I hand them up on the corner of the actual blind out of reach from Odhran, I think they should be banned here.. Harrison should be at home with his mummy.. Horrible preventable accident x

 

[midnight]

I read this too, utterly heartbreaking. I have 4 different blinds with the loop, unfortunately I can't cut them because our home is rented and they are not our property.. I hand them up on the corner of the actual blind out of reach from Odhran, I think they should be banned here.. Harrison should be at home with his mummy.. Horrible preventable accident x

cant you take them down and store them instead?

 

[FebMum2Be]

When I moved in I priced a few places for blinds as these ones aren't what I would have had, to put it simply I couldn't afford it, the cords are looped and hung on the corner of the blind runner, it would be impossible for odhran to reach, he is never left alone unless I'm going to the loo, then he is strapped into his pram or high chair.. He's usually on my hip. The only ones that would be a real danger are the ones in the hall, he is never in there and if he did manage to wiggle his way in in his walky, I have peace of mind as I know the loop cord is 110% out of reach.

 

[mablestarr]

This happened to the son of a girl I was in school with. It was so sad as she'd mc several times and then ended up managing to carry to term, then at about 18months the little boy strangled himself on the blind cords.

 

[FebMum2Be]

Poor girl

 

[midnight]

When I moved in I priced a few places for blinds as these ones aren't what I would have had, to put it simply I couldn't afford it, the cords are looped and hung on the corner of the blind runner, it would be impossible for odhran to reach, he is never left alone unless I'm going to the loo, then he is strapped into his pram or high chair.. He's usually on my hip. The only ones that would be a real danger are the ones in the hall, he is never in there and if he did manage to wiggle his way in in his walky, I have peace of mind as I know the loop cord is 110% out of reach.

if they are out of reach then its ok loved the on your hip comment lol

 

[FebMum2Be]

He should be classed as a body part lol

 

[Crimson92]

I read something similar a while ago, a little girl pretending to be Dora the explored and accidentally hung herself and died. My mum hung any blin cords up on a hook from that day on x