Roman Shades and Roll Up BlindsPose Strangulation Hazard to Children

For more than a decade the U.S. Consumer ProductSafety Commission (CPSC) has been focused onreducing injuries and deaths associated with windowcoverings. The CPSC first addressed the issue after receiving reports of incidents involving cords onwindow blinds.In a continuing effort to protect infants and youngchildren from strangulation hazards from windowcoverings, the agency is warning against the possiblestrangulation hazard with Roman shades. CPSC staff is aware of at least two recent deaths and multiple non-fatal incidents with Roman shades.The inner cords of Roman shades (see Fig. 1 and 2)are particularly accessible because the cords runthrough rings or slots in the back of the shade that arespaced fairly wide apart (typically 8 inches) as shownin Fig. 2. This large spacing creates the potential for achild to place his/her neck in the length of cordbetween the rings. Furthermore, some Roman shadesdo not use a head rail with a locking mechanism to limitthe movement of the operating cords, increasing theease with which a loop can be formed by pulling downon the inner cord.

Roman shades are hazardous because theinner cord can be pulled down to form aloop if:

there is nothing at the head rail such as a cordlock or inner cord stop to prevent the cord frombeing pulled down, and/orb)

the fabric is light enough that it raises as theinner cord is ulled out.

Pub. #5115

Cord Pressureon Neck