Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall of Roman Shades, Roll-Up Blinds, and Roller Blinds by Hanover Direct/Domestications

Roman shades, roll-up blinds and roller blinds

Recall Date: November 10th, 2010
Type: Window Shades and Venetian Blinds and Indoor Shutters
Units: About 495,000 Roman shades and 28,500 roller/roll-up blinds (about 90,000 Roman shades were recalled in October 2009)
Hazards: 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. 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. Roller Blinds: Strangulations can occur if the blind's continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord is not attached to the wall or the floor with the tension device provided and a child's neck becomes entangled in the free-standing loop.
Remedies: Repair
Consumers should immediately stop using all Roman shades with inner cords, all roll-up blinds, and all roller blinds that do not have a tension device, and contact the Window Covering Safety Council at (800) 506-4636 anytime for free repair kits or visit www.windowcoverings.org. Consumers who have roller blinds with a tension device should make sure the tension device is attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and is installed into the wall or floor.