The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted Wednesday to begin a rulemaking process to protect children from strangling on window covering cords.
In May 2013, consumer and safety groups filed a petition urging the commission to address these strangulation risks. Last week, commission staff recommended that the commission grant the petition.
From 1996 to 2012, 285 deaths and serious injuries were caused by these products. The commission staff also estimates that from 1996 through 2012, 1,590 children received treatment for injuries resulting from getting tangled in window covering cords.
“Today’s vote represents a bittersweet victory, not just for my husband and me, but for the countless other parents whose children have died or been critically injured by corded window coverings,” stated Erica Thomas. Erica and Stephen Thomas were parents of 2-year-old Cormac Thomas who passed away in March due to asphyxiation from a window covering cord.
"While nothing assuages the anguish of losing a child in such a senseless manner, we are sincerely encouraged that the CPSC has taken this step toward preventing our tragedy from happening to another family,” Thomas said.
Due to the consistent death rate, the failure of the voluntary standards to address the hazard, and the existence of products and technology in the marketplace that can prevent this hazard, the Consumer Federation of America, Parents for Window Blind Safety, Kids In Danger, Consumers Union, Independent Safety Consulting, U.S. PIRG, Public Citizen and other organizations filed a petition with the commission on May 23, 2013, asking that it adopt a mandatory standard that prohibits hazardous operating cords on window coverings.
“Today’s important vote by CPSC confirms that the voluntary standard has failed American consumers and paves the way for a strong mandatory standard that protects children from this hazard,” said Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and senior counsel, Consumer Federation of America.
“We applaud CPSC’s critically important decision to protect children from the strangulation risk posed to children by cords on window coverings,” Weintraub said. “I look forward to the day that families no longer suffer as a result of injuries and deaths caused by these cords.”
