Blind and curtain cord safety
To minimise the risk to children, all new corded blinds, curtains and window coverings must comply with a national safety standard. Blind and curtain cords have the potential to harm babies and children, who can be easily entangled in the loops.
According to the Office of Fair Trading, since 2000 at least 12 children have died from blind or curtain cord strangulation in Australia.
All new window coverings supplied to rental properties must follow the mandatory standard, which came into effect in 2010 and is detailed on the Product Safety Australia website. Blinds and curtain cords supplied before 2010 can be made safe by either cutting the cords or hooking them up out of harm’s way.
Safety tassels, which join the ends of blind cords together and separate when pressure is applied, are available from hardware stores. Alternatively, blind cords can be wrapped securely around hooks attached high on the wall.
The Office of Fair Trading recommends the bottom of any blind cord is at least 160cm above the floor level.
Lessors are obliged to ensure a rental property is in a good state of repair and fit for the tenant to live in.
QLD Government have published a step by step guide for reducing the risks associated with corded blinds that are useful for lessors and tenants.
Follow these 7 easy steps
Step 1 – Keep away from children
Make sure children can’t reach any blind or curtain cords.
Step 2 – Don’t have low-hanging cords
Make sure the bottom of any blind or curtain cord is at least 160cm above the floor.
Step 3 – Keep away from children’s equipment
Don’t let cords dangle into or near children’s equipment. This includes:
cots (or portable cots)
high chairs
playpens
anything else your child sits on, lies in or climbs on.
Step 4 – Keep away from furniture
Make sure your child can’t reach the blind or curtain cord if they climb on the furniture.
Step 5 – Wrap cords on a hook
If you have low-hanging cords:
attach a hook to the wall out of the reach of your children
wrap the cord around the hook
don’t let the cord dangle less than 160cm from the floor.
Step 6 – Install safety devices
Vertical blinds often come with tensioning devices. These weigh down and bundle your cords so that loops don’t easily form. If your cords don’t come with tensioning devices, consider installing them yourselves.
Step 7 – Consider other products
There are other mechanisms that you can use. If you’re installing blinds, ask your supplier about using ‘blind wands’.
East Coast Compliance will inspect all blinds through out the property and advise and ensure all blinds conform to the standards set out by the Queensland Government.