Make you home safe
Although not an obvious hazard, window coverings can be potentially dangerous to young children – in particular the cords, tapes and chains that are used to operate them.
We do everything we can to make sure your chosen product is safe for your child. As a minimum, all of our blinds and curtains meet the European Standard BS EN 13120 for both performance and safety. Beyond this, safety is at the forefront of our minds right through the design process as we strive to make products that are not only stylish and high-quality, but also safe.
When the BSI (British Standards Institute) Publish the document it is in the public domain and effective immediately. This was on the 28th February 2014.
Where internal blinds are installed in premises where children aged from 0 to 42 months are likely to have access or to be present, examples are homes, hotels, hospitals, churches, shops, schools and general public places. The new standards also apply when the destination of the blind is unknown.
It does not apply where internal blinds are installed in premises where children are unlikely to have access, examples are factories, laboratories etc. In these cases specific labels must be used as notice of this.
As a customer, what does that mean to me?
Safety devices must now be fitted when blinds with looped cords and chains are installed into a home or any other premises where children could spend time.
There are two safety devices:
- A cleat for blinds with control cords. These include, metal, wood and faux wood venetians and free hanging pleated blinds. The cords of these blinds simply wrap around the cleat when the blind is opened. It keeps the cords tidy and neat, but most importantly, out of the reach of children. Blinds with a cleat must be fitted at a minimum height of 1.5m so if you require a blind to be at a lower height, you must choose another product. Cleats must be fitted no lower than 1.5m too.
- A safety hook is used with our products that have a looped control chain. These include Rollers, Verticals and certain Roman blinds. The chain will be held permanently taut and under constant tension by the safety hook. Hooks must be fitted at the maximum distance from the control mechanism. In addition, there are guidelines when fixing the length of control chains for these types of blinds. These ensure the chains will not be too close the ground.
The following information gives guidance on child safety devices.