Child Safety
DIYblinds is committed to child safety and would like to highlight to all our customers the risks associated with cord mechanisms on blinds & curtains.
Why Are Loose Cords Dangerous?
Children do not understand that a cord or chain wrapped around their neck can tighten and strangle them within minutes if they sit down, roll around, or climb down to the floor.
In the past, children have tragically died when a loop went over their head or they became tangled in loose cords while:
- Sleeping in a cot or bed where cords were hanging
- Playing near cords
- Standing on a chair, sofa, or bed to look out a window
How to Keep Your Children Safe
1. Check Your Blind and Curtain Cords
(Do this anywhere you are staying, including on holiday)
- Look for loose or looped cords that children can reach from the floor or by climbing on furniture.
- Immediately tie cords out of reach and move away any furniture children might climb on to access them.
2. Secure Your Cords Out of Reach
- Use tensioning devices such as Cleats or P-Clips, which are provided with all new blinds purchased from DIY Blinds.
- Use screws to fix each cleat or tensioning device securely out of children's reach.
- Never secure devices with materials that may fail under load, such as double-sided tape.
Note:
If you cannot fix your unsafe cords and chains yourself, get a reliable tradesperson to do it for you.
If you are renting your home, seek help from your landlord or agent.
If your order is missing P-Clips, please let us know and we’ll send replacements out to you.
3. Choose Safe Blinds
All blinds sold by DIY Blinds have the following safety features:
- Comply with the national mandatory safety standard
- Include warning labels to remind you of the risks to children
- Provide a way to secure cords/chains so there are no loops or strands within a child’s reach (see P-Clip & Cleat diagram)
- Operate without exposed cords/chains where possible
4. Keep Children Away from All Cords and Chains
- Move any furniture or items a child can sit, stand, or climb on (e.g., cots, beds, sofas, chairs, bookshelves) away from cords and chains
- Do not let children play near cords or chains they can reach
- Never leave children alone in a room where they can reach cords or chains