Since 2001, cords on roll-up blinds and Roman shades have been implicated in the strangulation deaths of eight children.  Because of this grim toll, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are recalling all roll-up blinds and Roman shades sold in the U.S.  The  the recall involves 50 million  blinds.

According to the CPSC, five children were strangled to death in the cords included with Roman shades since 2006.  Roll-up shades aren’t much safer, and have been involved in three child deaths since 2001.  There have also been 16 near deaths because of these dangerous products. 

If you have  Roman or roll-up shades in your homes, contact the WCSC immediately at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling (800) 506-4636 anytime to receive a free repair kit.

To help prevent child strangulation in window coverings, the CPSC and the WCSC  are also urging parents and caregivers to follow these guidelines:

• Examine all shades and blinds in the home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC and the WCSC recommend the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.
• Do not place cribs, beds, and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to the cords.
• Make loose cords inaccessible.
• If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.

In addition to the recall announced by the CPSC and WCSC, several retailers have today issued their own recalls of window shades.    These retailers include Walmart, JCPenney, and Pottery Barn, along with others.  Full details on all of these recalls can be found at the CPSC Web site.