Young children risk being strangled by getting tangled in a blind cord

(23/06/2010)

Looped window blind cords can slip around a child’s neck if they fall on to it, or they become entangled in dangling cords. Apollo Blinds has pledged to give away thousands of safety devices during Child Safety Week in a bid to reduce the risk of child strangulation associated with blind cords in UK homes, which has claimed eight young lives in the UK during the past two years. All recent deaths have involved children under the age of four.

The free giveaway is part of Apollo’s national campaign ‘Make Blinds Child Safe’ to heighten awareness of the perils of unsecured window blind cords. 70 Apollo Blinds stores throughout the UK and Ireland are taking part in the initiative, working with their local communities to get the message out and help parents of young children take action.

The British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) estimates that there are 100 million window blinds in the UK and, while Apollo Blinds already supplies the safety clips as standard with new blinds, Apollo is keen to assist parents and grandparents take the simple measures required to make blinds already fitted in homes safe by fitting a P-Clip or Safety Cord Cleat to secure looped blind cords, most often fitted to roller and vertical blinds.

Gary Chambers, general manager at Apollo Blinds, explained: “There are industry regulations in place relating to child safety for new blinds, but we think more needs to be done in terms of the 100m blinds already fitted in UK homes; which is why we are championing child safety in an effort to prevent further tragedies. We are working with the BBSA, CAPT and ROSPA, supporting their efforts to raise awareness of this type of accident in the home; and CAPT’s Child Safety Week is the perfect time for us to launch this initiative, which will run throughout 2010.”

CAPT is urging parents to take time for child safety. They say “just 10 minutes can prevent your young child being strangled by getting tangled in a blind cord. Fit a cleat hook to keep cords out of reach of climbing children, and make it a habit to tie the blind cord back every time.”

Related categories:  Toddlers 

Car and automotive | Cosmetics, skincare, perfume and toiletry | Gifts and presents | Gold, silver and precious metals | Alternative investment | Phones, adsl and broadband | Art, paintings, sculpture

Security systems | Plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning | Electrical distribution, lighting, power generation, automation and control | Construction equipment | Environmental technology and renewable energy