In December 2018, the American National Standards Institute approved an updated voluntary safety standard for window coverings, stating that window coverings be cordless, have cords 8” or less, or have inaccessible cords. The standard also calls for more warning tags that highlight the strangulation hazard posed by corded blinds and curtains. This new standard was adopted in an effort to reduce strangulations of young children.
If your window coverings do have cords, and you have young children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes it is important you follow these safety tips:
- Move children’s furniture (desks, dressers, benches, tables, chairs, cribs, etc.) away from windows that have corded window coverings
- Eliminate, or shorten, dangling cords that children can reach — or keep the cords out of reach of children
- If a window covering has a continuous looped-bead chain or cord, anchor those to the floor or wall
