Direct Blinds

Child Safety

Child Safety Awareness for Window Blinds

The home can harbor many dangers for children but not many people realise that window blind and curtain cords can be dangerous or even fatal for babies and young children – particularly for those under the age of 3.

Children can injure, or even strangle themselves on window blind and curtain cords. When exploring or playing, a child can become entangled in hanging cords. If the child then tries to sit or falls down, they can hang themselves in the loop.

There are several simple steps you can take to minimise this risk – and help keep your child safe.

Roller Blinds Safety Advice

When ordering your roller blinds, you can choose from three different operating methods, motorized, spring or chain operated. Motorized and Spring operated blinds have no cord or chain loops, which makes them completely safe.

Chain operated blinds have an inherent danger but can be made safe using our custom fitted safety devices. This device eliminates the free hanging chain loop and makes it safer around young children.

Existing blinds, which are chain operated, can be made safe by reducing the length of chain and fitting safety devices or converting to spring operated. (Contact us for details)

Vertical Blinds Safety Advice

There are two ways of operating a vertical blind, chain or wand operated. Wand operated vertical blinds are safer for children as they have no cord or chain loop in its operation.

Chain operated vertical blinds can be a potential risk to young children so these need to be fitted with our custom safety devices. To compliment this, the cord and chain should also be made shorter, so that they are out of reach for children.

Existing vertical blinds, which are chain operated, can be made safe by reducing the length of the chain and cord and fitting safety devices.

Another potential risk is the bottom chain at the end of the louvers, we recommend that this chain is removed where young kids are present. (Contact us for details)

Metal/Wood Venetian Blinds Safety Advice

All metal and wood Venetian blinds are operated using cords, all these cords pose a risk to young children. The risks come from looped or knotted cords or cords which are too long and in reach of young children. When new Venetian blinds are fitted, the cords should be reduced to an appropriate length and cleats and cord restrictors fitted and adjusted accordingly.

Existing Venetian blinds can be made safe by reducing the length of cords, fitting each cord with an individual acorn and fitting the required cleats and cord restrictors. (Contact us for details)

Roman Blinds Safety Advice

Chain or cord operated roman blinds pose a risk to children so it is essential that safety devices are fitted on each blind.

The inner cords that control the workings of the blind also need specific tailoring so as they are the safest they can be, minimizing the danger to young children. (Contact us for details)

Pleated Blinds Safety Advice

These blinds have 3 operating methods, Motorized, tensioned and free hanging, motorized and tensioned blinds are the safest option.

Free hanging pleated blinds pose a risk to young children because of the free hanging cords that operate the blind. It is important that these cords are cut to the minimum length and each cord has a separate acorn. Cleats should also be installed to tie off all cords when the blind is lifted, thus keeping the cords out of young children’s reach.  (Contact us for details)

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How to install safety devices for chain operated blinds:

The Tension device reduces the hazards of strangulation and entanglement of young children by limiting access to the chain control. Anchor the Tension Device to the window or wall so that young children cannot pull the cord around their necks