Protect the ones you love from risks we seldom think about.

smith+noble Addresses Window Covering Safety

Window treatments might not immediately come to mind as home safety hazards, but as recent media reports confirm, they could well be - especially if industry standards and government regulations are not followed.

On December 15th, 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the industry group Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) announced that nearly 50 million potentially hazardous Roman-style window shades and roll-up blinds are the focus of a voluntary corrective action plan. This move was in response to a number of safety incidents involving children and window treatments since 2001, including five child deaths, and the near strangulation of 16 other children.

For your peace of mind, please be aware that all smith+noble window treatments conform to industry and government safety standards. Further, our installers are instructed not to install any of our products without their associated safety devices.

Additionally, we feel an obligation as a window covering industry leader to protect consumers and their loved ones from potential dangers by offering education and solutions that minimize or eliminate the risks.

Window cords can be hazardous, due to the risk that can occur when a child (or pet) accidentally becomes entangled with a dangling operating cord, or with the cords on the backside of some shade styles. For your peace of mind, please be aware that all smith+noble window treatments strictly conform with all industry and government safety standards. There are, however, additional steps you can take to further ensure your family's safety, including downloading our Child Safety Guide.

Call 800.248.8888 to order your choice of the following FREE safety kits:

In recent years, the window covering industry has redesigned its corded products and developed cord-safety standards to respond to child strangulation concerns. Looped pull cords were eliminated from mini blinds as of 1995, permanent tie-down devices were attached to vertical blinds and traverse draperies in 1997, built-in cord stops were added to horizontal blinds and corded shades beginning in 2001, and steps were initiated to reduce the hazards posed by accessible inner cords in 2009.

Still, it's estimated that consumers have not yet retrofitted millions of older, corded window coverings, and new parents and pet owners are sometimes unaware of potential cord dangers.

"Because cord-safety features are now built into window coverings, we believe parents will feel more confident about their child's safety if they replace their older window coverings with the products now available," explains the Window Covering Safety Council. "We also recommend that parents consider using cordless window coverings in children's bedrooms and play areas."

Converting to safe new window treatments or retrofitting old ones is vitally important. You can maximize safety when pets or children under the age of six are present by following a few easy rules:

• Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today's safer products, which include safety features such as loop control, cordless operation, wand pull, and even motorization
• Install only cordless window coverings in children's bedrooms and play areas
• Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and widnow cords, preferably to another wall
• Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tassel pull cords are short, that continuous-loop cords are permanetly anchored to the floor or wall, and that cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.
• Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a window sill
• Be sure to consistently utilize included safety features such as cord cleats and tensioning devices

We trust that our safety suggestions and product solutions will safeguard you and your loved ones. For more information, we encourage you to call our knowledgeable Customer Service representatives at 800.248.8888