Disability Law

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued recall announcements of several types of window shades because of the risk of strangulation. These recalls are important for all parents of small children to understand. Here is a summary from the CPSC:

Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall To Repair Window Blinds By Vertical Land

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Vertical Land Inc., of Panama City Beach, Fla., is voluntarily recalling about 15,400 horizontal blinds, 16,400 vertical blinds, 800 Cellular Shades. Horizontal Blinds: The blinds do not have inner cord stop devices to prevent the accessible inner cords from being pulled out. If an inner cord is pulled out, a child can become entangled in the loop and strangle. Vertical Blinds: Strangulations can occur if a child?s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop formed by the bead chain or by the cord with a weighted device. Cellular Shades: Strangulations can occur if a child?s neck becomes entangled on the shade?s free-standing looped cord.

Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Roller Shades by Lutron Shading Solutions

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Lutron Electronics Co. Inc., of Coopersburg, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 245,000 Roller Shades. Strangulations can occur if the shade?s looped bead chain is not attached to the wall or the floor and a child?s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop.

Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall to Repair Victoria Classics Roman Shades; Sold Exclusively by Target Stores

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Victoria Classics of Edison, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 163,000 Thermal Sailcloth and Matchstick Bamboo Roman Shades. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. Exposed operating cords can knot or tangle creating a strangulation loop.

Near Strangulation of Children Prompts Recall of Roman Shades; Sold Exclusively at Pottery Barn Kids

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pottery Barn Kids/Williams-Sonoma, Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 85,000 Roman Shades. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.

Near Strangulation Prompts Recall of Roman Blinds; Sold Exclusively at IKEA

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa., is voluntarily recalling about 120,000 MELINA Roman Blinds. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. The Roman blind has a continuous looped bead chain that when not attached to the wall or floor, hangs loosely by the blind, posing a strangulation hazard to children.

Strangulation Deaths of Children Prompt Recall to Repair of Roll-Up Blinds and Roman Shades by Lewis Hyman Inc.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Lewis Hyman Inc., of Carson, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 4.2 million ¼? Oval Roll-up Blinds and 600,000 Woolrich Roman shades. Roll-up Blinds: Strangulations can occur if the lifting loops slide off the side of the blind and a child?s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material. Roman Shades: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.