According to new research by RoSPA, thousands of homes across Britain have non-compliant blinds fitted and families do not know what to look for to ensure their child is safe.
New standards for blinds were introduced in 2014 dictating that new blinds with looped cords must have child safety devices installed at the point of manufacture or be sold with the blind.
A survey carried out on behalf of the charity found that most of those who took part did not know about the changes and consequently did not check if their blinds were compliant.
More than 2,000 people took part in the poll, which revealed that almost two-in-three parents of under-fives haven’t received any guidance on correct blind cord installation or usage.
Other key findings include:
- 80 per cent of the UK’s population have blinds in their homes.
- Almost a quarter have looped cord blinds that have no safety features fitted. Looped blind cords and chains can strangle children and young people.
- Over 70 per cent have never received blind cord safety advice.
- Over a third (34 per cent) admitted that if they were presented with a scenario where their blinds in their home had no safety mechanism, they would take no action.
It comes after the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)’s recent report on the cause of child deaths in the UK, showed nine children died from blind cord strangulation between March 2019 and April 2022.
Previous research by RoSPA reveals that most accidental deaths involving blind cords happen in the bedroom and occur in children aged between 16 months and 36 months, with the majority (more than half) happening at around 23 months.
Safe blind installation
RoSPA advises that parents putting up blinds themselves should ensure they fit the safety devices (tidies, tensioners or cleats) included.
The charity says that tidies and tensioners need to be permanently taught and fixed tightly in place, while cleats should be installed out of grasp from a child – at least 1.5 metres from the ground.
Also, that cords should be always tied up if in a room where a child may spend time in, and looped cords removed entirely. Cots should be positioned away from a window.
'We must take blind cord safety more seriously.'
Ashley Martin, public health advisor at RoSPA, said, ‘Our research comes as a stark warning that we must take blind cord safety more seriously. We clearly need to do more to help families with young children, who are disproportionately affected by blind cord strangulation.
‘Our findings suggest that thousands of homes across Britain have non-compliant blinds fitted, but also that families do not know what to look for to ensure their child is safe. We recommend installing non-looped cord blinds, not placing blind mechanisms near beds or cots, and checking whether existing blinds are compliant.’
- Further information on blind cord safety can be found at Blind cords - RoSPA