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window blinds with pull cords and inner cords

CPSC Recall #01-023 - October 31, 2000

Recall Summary

Recall Number01-023
Recall DateOctober 31, 2000
Remedy TypeRepair
Units AffectedAbout 85 million each year

Product

window blinds with pull cords and inner cords

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council are announcing a recall to repair horizontal window blinds to prevent the risk of strangulation to young children. The recall involves millions of window blinds with pull cords and inner cords that can form a loop and cause strangulation. About 85 million window blinds are sold each year. Since 1991, CPSC has received reports of 130 strangulations involving cords on window blinds. 114 strangulations involve the outer pull cords, and 16 involve the inner cords that hold the blind slats. In 1995, CPSC worked with the window covering industry to redesign new window blinds to eliminate the outer loop on the end of pull cords and provide free repair kits so consumers could fix their existing blinds. CPSC issued a safety alert about this hazard and what consumers can do about it, including a detailed description of the free repair kits. Window blinds sold since 1995 no longer have pull cords ending in loops. Last year, CPSC began a new investigation of window blind deaths. In an extensive review of incidents, CPSC found that children could also become entangled in the inner cords that are used to raise the slats of blinds. These entrapments occur when a young child pulls on an inner cord and it forms a loop that the child can hang in. All of these deaths involved children in cribs placed next to windows. In most cases, the outer pull cords were placed out of reach, but the children strangled when they pulled on the inner cords of the blinds. The strangulation victims ranged in age from 9 months to 17 months. As a result of the new CPSC investigation, the industry has further redesigned window blinds. Newly manufactured blinds have attachments on the pull cords so that the inner cords can't form a loop if pulled by a young child. Consumers with existing blinds should have them repaired. The repair can be done in minutes without removing the blinds. Consumers who have window blinds with cords in their homes should call the Window Covering Safety Council toll-free (800) 506-4636 to receive a free repair kit for each set of blinds in the home. You can also visit their website - www.windowcoverings.org - to get more information on checking your window covering. The repair kit will include small plastic attachments to prevent the inner cords from being pulled loose. The kit also includes safety tassels for pre-1995 window blinds with outer pull cords ending in loops. Consumers should cut the loops and install a safety tassel at the end of each pull cord. Consumers who have vertical blinds, draperies or pleated shades with continuous loop cords should request special tie-downs to prevent strangulation in those window coverings. Parents should keep window covering cords and chains permanently out of the reach of children. Never place a child's crib within reach of a window blind. Unless the cords can be completely removed from the child's reach, including when the child climbs on furniture, CPSC recommends that parents never knot or tie the cords together because this creates a new loop in which a child could become entangled. Consumers who have young children may wish to consider purchasing cordless window coverings. These are made by a number of firms. 

Hazard

The recall involves millions of window blinds with pull cords and inner cords that can form a loop and cause strangulation.

Incidents & Injuries

Since 1991, CPSC has received reports of 130 strangulations involving cords on window blinds. 114 strangulations involve the outer pull cords, and 16 involve the inner cords that hold the blind slats.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers who have window blinds with cords in their homes should call the Window Covering Safety Council toll-free (800) 506-4636 to receive a free repair kit for each set of blinds in the home. You can also visit their website - www.windowcoverings.org - to get more information on checking your window covering.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly, either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Repair) at no cost to you.

Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product, whether recalled or not, you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney, parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.

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