Child Cord Safety

Is your Central Coast or Hornsby home, workplace or investment property safe?  Blind safety laws are now mandatory across Australia.

If you have purchased an old home that has existing blinds and want to make they're safe and comply with the law, please read on.

All cords and chains must be secured (drilled firmly) into a lock or cleat attached to the window frame or wall next to the blind. There are exact measurements to comply with which is best to look at the ACCC site listed below. This is to prevent choking by young children.

The new warning labels read:

Warning: young children have died by wrapping loose curtains and blind cords or chains around their necks. Secure cords or chains with cord guides or keep them out of reach by winding them around a cleat. Move cots and furniture away from window covering cords or chains. Do not remove this label. WARNING.

If you have an investment property, you may want to upgrade the blinds with some new locks and safety warning labels as part of your normal maintenance programme.

The ACCC website says:

Children can become entangled in blind or curtain cords if they try to use, play with or play around window coverings. Even with raised coverings, children can climb onto window sills or furniture to access the cords. Cords or looped cords that become tangled around a child's neck can very quickly cause strangulation.

Cords can also strangle infants sleeping or playing in cots placed near a window where cords are within reach, or hang into the cot.

At Premier Shades we have many of the labels and locks required to make your blinds safe on sale in our spare parts section of this website.