Blind Safety

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) has stated that 5 children died through strangulation on blind Cords and Chains in 2010 alone. A terrible statistic and one that we would like to make you aware of as these accidents can easily  be avoided with the right safety measures.

The British Blind and Shutter Association have developed a leaflet on Safety called “Make it Safe – Reduce the risk from looped blind cords and chains”

Please visit the link to print your own copy Make It Safe

We have made a short video on how to fit Chain Breaks and Cord Tidies which will decrease the danger of Blind cords and chains dramatically.  Fitting the window blind child safety devices is straightforward and only takes a few minutes.

Click the link to see the fitting instructions Video

The Cord Tidy allows the cord or chain to be kept taught as shown in the picture. These are ideal for Roller Blind, Roman Blind chains (sidewinders) and Vertical Blind cords. If you have Venetian Blinds or Corded Roman Blinds then a Cleat would be more beneficial to tie the cord around when the blinds are up.

A Chain Break is a piece of plastic that allows the two ends of blind chains to fit together. They are designed to allow the chain to break with 8 to 12lbs worth of pressure.

The good news is that most reputable blind companies are fitting chain break connectors on roller blinds and supplying tie back, cleats and cord tidies for other corded blinds.  Make sure when you are ordering your new blinds, your retailer explains all the options available and go armed with your leaflet.

We want to make people aware that this is happening. There is no legislation on having chain breaks, cord tidies, cleats, just BE AWARE when you are ordering Blinds. If you have Blinds and children GET SOME SAFETY DEVICES.

Anyone who has brought a DIY blind should ensure they are child friendly and have a minimum of a Chain Connector that snaps upon pressure, fitted - your cheap blinds could be very dangerous and for a few pennies YOU can correct this. Change them NOW!!

Other precautions to take

  • Keep furniture a safe distance from windows to prevent children from climbing up to window area
  • Do not allow any cords to hang near a child’s cot or bed
  • Choose a cordless blind system like Perfectfit

If you require any further information or assistance please email us enquiries@johnsblinds.co.uk or call the office 01245 201110.