October: Window Covering Safety Month

Being informed on the numerous dangers associated with window cords is one way that parents and caregivers can help children avoid injury. The National Safety Council (NSC) says that most window cord-related fatalities happen when a child is left alone for less than 10 minutes. Even with a watchful eye, accidents can happen – and they frequently do. For example, a study published in the Pediatrics journal found that two children are treated in hospital emergency departments for window blind or cord-related injuries each day.

A major part of Window Covering Safety Month is to remind parents and caregivers to check all windows for dangling and/or exposed cords, which the CPSC calls “one of the most dangerous hidden hazards in the home.” The agency’s official recommendation is to forgo cords altogether and to go cordless. When going cordless is not possible, please observe the following lifesaving tips:

• Make sure that cords are as short as possible;
• Keep all window cords out of reach of children;
• Eliminate any dangling cords;
• Move cribs, beds, toys, and furniture as far away as possible from window cords;
• Permanently anchor vertical blinds and/or continuous-loop cords on draperies to the floor or wall, and:
• Ensure that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit inner lift cord movement

Going cordless or taking every precaution possible are some of the best ways to prevent deadly cases of window cord strangulation among infants and children. It is also important to know that children between the ages of 1 and 4-years-old face the highest risk for window cord-related injuries. If you have questions about an injury your child sustained, please contact a representative at our firm directly.

Philadelphia Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Representing Injured Individuals Since 1947

If you or a loved one has been injured, we are happy to answer your questions and have one of our Philadelphia personal injury attorneys review your case for free. Galfand Berger has offices are located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading and we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.