CPSC Launches #GoCordless Campaign to Save Children’s Lives

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden dangers in the home. Tragically, nearly half of the incidents that involve children and corded window coverings result in fatalities. Even though corded window covers such as blinds, drapes, and shades create significant entrapment and strangulation hazards for infants and children, some manufacturers still sell them. To save young lives and to commemorate National Window Covering Safety Month, the CPSC is promoting its #GoCordless campaign, which urges parents and caregivers to choose cordless window coverings at home.

Window Cord Hazards

Window cord strangulation is not only deadly, but it can also be silent. The CPSC reports that children have been strangled to death on corded window coverings in mere moments — and even when there is an adult nearby. Here are some other important facts on hazards that are associated with window covers that have dangling cords:

• On average, about nine children under the age of five-years-old die each year from being strangled in window blinds, shapes, draperies, and other window coverings with cords
• When it is not deadly, injuries from window cord strangulation often include scarring around the neck, permanent brain damage, and quadriplegia
• Between 2009 and 2021, there were over 200 incidents involving children up to the age of eight-years-old being strangled by window cover cords
• Out of all the strangulation incidents in that same time period, 48% of the children involved died, 38% required medical treatment without hospitalization, 8% were hospitalized for their injuries, and 7% escaped injury

Safety Steps to Protect Children from Strangulation Dangers

Nearly every major window covering retailer sells a variety of cordless options in stores as well as online. Consumers should purchase and install cordless coverings in any room that children may be present (if you are purchasing coverings online, make sure they are labeled as cordless). Some manufacturers label their cordless window coverings with a “Best for Kids” certification, which can be helpful to look for when shopping around. If consumers are unable to replace corded window coverings with cordless ones, the CPSC recommends taking the following steps to safeguard your home as best as possible:

• Eliminate the risks of dangling cords by making the pull cords as short as they can go
• Keep all window covering cords out of the reach of children
• Ensure that all cord stops are installed properly and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords
• Anchor to the floor or wall continuous-loop cords on draperies and blinds
• Move all cribs, beds, furniture, and toys away from windows and window covering cords, preferably to another wall

The CPSC is considering changes to its current rules for commercial window cord coverings. If amended, the Commission’s new rules would establish certain performance requirements for safe operating cords on custom window coverings and would declare the presence of hazardous operating cords and inner cords on stock window coverings (and hazardous inner cords on customer window coverings) to be substantial product hazards. To read more about the CPSC’s #GoCordless campaign and National Window Covering Safety Month here.

Consumer Products: When are Manufacturers Responsible for a Victim’s Injuries?

Manufacturers, suppliers, and sellers have a duty to produce and/or sell products that are safe for consumers to use. Despite having this obligation, some manufacturers carelessly rush to make a profit, sacrificing the safety of unsuspecting consumers. If a product causes an injury because of an unsafe design, a manufacturing defect, malfunction, or the failure to provide proper instructions and/or warnings, the victim or their family members may want to consider filing a products liability claim.

At Galfand Berger, our legal team is among the nation’s pioneers in investigating and litigating all types of products liability cases. For over 75 years, our firm has represented thousands of individuals injured by dangerous and unsafe products. Our legal team has helped shape many of the laws here in Pennsylvania that require product manufacturers to make their products safe for consumers. If you are interested in learning more about how to file a products liability claim, contact a representative online now.

Philadelphia Products Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

If you have a question about filing a legal claim, contact the Philadelphia products liability lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.