Legal news for product liability attorneys. The CPSC and the WCSC recalled 50 million shades due to strangulation hazard.
Product Liability lawyers alert- The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 50 million Roman shades due to strangulation hazard.
Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Consumer Product safety Commission (CPSC) http://www.cpsc.gov/ and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) http://www.windowcoverings.org/ announced today, December 15, 2009, a voluntary recall of all Roman shades and roll-up blinds. The recall was initiated to prevent the risk of strangulation to young children, as reported by the CPSC.
A total of 50 million of Roman and roll-up shades have been recalled; nearly five million Roman shades and about three million roll-up blinds are sold annually across the nation. Since 2006, the CPSC has been alerted of five deaths and 16 near strangulation’s involving Roman shades. Roll-up blinds were responsible for three deaths since 2001. The CPSC is warning parents that strangulation’s occur when young children put their head and neck between the exposed in cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind. Strangulation can also occur when a child pulls the cord out of the blind and wraps it around their neck. Roll-up blind-related strangulation’s can happen if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind, and the child entangles itself on the free-standing loop, or if the child put their neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.
A CPSC spokesperson stated, “Over the past 15 years, CPSC has been investigating window covering hazards and working with the WCSC to ensure the safety of window coverings. We commend the WCSC for providing consumers with repair kits that make window coverings safer and look forward to future steps to eliminate these hazards.” To obtain your free repair kit, please contact the WCSC immediately at http://www.windowcoverings.org/, or by calling (800) 506-4636.
To help prevent tragic and often deadly accidental strangulation’s, CPSC and the WCSC urge parents and caregivers to follow these guidelines:
• Examine all shades and blinds in your home. Ensure there are no and loose accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC and the WCSC recommend the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.
• Do not place cribs, beds, and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to the cords.
• Make loose cords inaccessible.
• If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for product liability lawyers.
