Keeping your children safe while they explore the world is no easy task, but there are certain steps we can all take in our homes to protect our little ones.
This week is Child and Safety Week. From June 6th to 12th 2022 the British Blind & Shutter Association is supporting Child Safety Week with the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT).
As a family-run business, we’re passionate about child safety so we’re sharing our support with this must-read blog about keeping kids safe in your home
That means bringing awareness to the dangers that are often overlooked in everyday life – and offering advice and support to make things even a little safer.
At The Scottish Shutter Company, we take window blind safety seriously, and that’s why we want to encourage homeowners to make their homes the safest place possible.
Dangers To Children In The Home
When it comes to dangers in your home, blinds are often the main suspect. Long cords are used to operate cheaper window blinds and are a handy and intuitive feature found in many homes. But what’s the risk to your child?
Cords that dangle or are within reach of a child can be a huge hazard. They pose the risk of strangulation if your child is able to become entangled in them.
It’s never pleasant to think about this topic, but understanding the dangers of blinds is the first step toward child safety. The bottom line of this issue is that if children cannot reach blind cords, they are much safer.
As part of Child Safety Week, we want to bring awareness to just how curious and hands-on children can be. Especially when unsupervised. A dangling cord may look like a toy or a child might want to figure out how this strange contraption works when their parents pull on a string.
Keeping these cords up and out of reach is essential, as your child’s inquisitive mind won’t be tempted in the first place. But there are also child-safe blinds available, where the cords are part of the internal structure and therefore much safer for children (and pets too!)
How To Make Your Blinds Child Safe
You love your blinds and may not want to just leave your windows bare, so how can you make your blinds child safe?
These are some of the most reliable ways to reduce the risks your blinds could pose.
Choose Child-Safe Luxaflex Blinds
Luxaflex offers a unique children’s blind range that is designed with your child in mind. The blinds are cordless and can be motorised so that you can safely operate them with a remote and cut out the dangers altogether.
The best part is that these child-safe blinds are functional and stylish too, as you can choose light-blocking materials and a huge selection of fabrics and styles.
Cord Cleats
This is one of the most tried-and-true methods of moving blind cords out of your child’s way. Cord cleats are strong plastic clasps that attach easily to your wall. Simply wrap the cords around these fixtures so that they are totally out of reach of little hands.
Cord cleats can be used on almost any blind variety including Venetian and honeycomb. Install your cleats at least 1500mm from the ground and wrap the cords in a figure-eight pattern so that you can still easily operate your blinds while taking away the risk of dangling cords.
Wand Tilt Mechanisms
Remove the danger altogether for total peace of mind. The cord tilt mechanisms which allow you to adjust the angle of your horizontal blinds pose a threat to children as they can easily become tangled.
Replace with – or initially choose – a wand tilt mechanism instead of cords to instantly make your blinds child-safe and simple to use. The wand can be twisted to make adjustments to your blind instead of pulling on cords, and you can easily install the wands on existing blinds.
Shorten Your Cords
Making your cords shorter isn’t just a simple step to take toward child safety in your home, it’s also recommended by blind manufacturers. Cords should be at least 40% shorter than the total length of your blind. If your cords are dragging on the floor or constantly getting in the way this is a red flag that your cords are too long and are a strangulation hazard.
When adjusting your cord length, just make sure you’re shortening them whilst the blind is fully lowered.
Shutters Are Safest
What’s the most obvious way to make your home free of blind cord safety hazards?
Choose shutters to cover your windows instead!
Shutters are the most child-safe window shading option, even compared to curtains. Unlike blinds, shutters don’t require cords to function in your home, eliminating that fear altogether. They’re sturdier and more durable than blinds, making them an excellent choice to install in playrooms or children’s bedrooms.
Having blinds around your children, even if you’ve made them as child-safe as possible, can still leave you feeling concerned. With curtains, your child may still get wrapped up in them or pull them from their fittings. Shutters give you safety along with noise reduction, light protection and style.
Child Safety As Standard
The BBSA is supporting Child Safety Week as a way to bring awareness to homeowners and parents. Blinds can be a very real choking hazard because dangling cords become wrapped around children. You can install cord cleats, wand mechanisms and shorten cords to add a layer of safety to your home. Or – choose child-safe shutters instead!
If you’re concerned about your blinds or looking to replace your blinds with shutters for safety, get in touch with our expert team.
