Child Safety Standards with Corded Window Coverings

In December 2018, the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA), coordinated efforts with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to update the safety standards associated with corded window coverings.

This relatively new standard has had a significant impact on reducing the strangulation risk to young children. Safety standard ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2018 divides the market into two segments: Custom and Stock. All stock products sold in stores and online are required to be cordless or have inaccessible short cords.

Corded window coverings will only be available on custom-order products because corded products are still needed by a wide range of consumers, like the elderly and those with disabilities, and in installations with hard-to-reach locations. However, even these custom shades have new restrictions such as requiring operating cords to have a default length of 40% of the blind height.

The US ANSI window covering safety standard is the strongest safety mandate for corded shades in the world. Consumers that have corded shades installed in their home prior to 2018 and have young toddlers living in their home or visiting should check their corded shades for faulty tension devices and see if the corded shade tension device is installed high enough to eliminate the possibility that a child could reach the cords.

Menagerie Offers Safe Alternatives

According to USA Today, "between 2012 and 2017 there have been 50 fatalities reported" and "between 1990 and 2015, about 17,000 children under 6 years old – about two kids a day – went to the emergency room for injuries related to corded blinds."

Menagerie offers cordless shades on our website with the “Best for Kids” certification to make it easier for consumers to identify our cordless products. Additionally, all our corded shades are manufactured with continuous cords loops that utilize a child safety tension device at 40% of the blind height.

Child safety is a serious matter, and each of us play a part in helping to make the world a safer place.

Recent Safety Updates

Since publishing this article, on November 2nd 2022 the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has approved a new safety standard for custom window coverings. The new mandatory consumer product safety standard establishes performance requirements for safe operation of custom window coverings, and is aimed at preventing deaths and serious injuries from strangulation.

This is in addition to California's 2018 ban on corded window coverings.

Learn more about the benefits of Coulisse™ Roller Shades.