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Hidden Hazards: Window Cord Safety Measures Children are curious about their world. As parents, we want to encourage them to explore, but we also want them to be safe. So we examine their environment for hidden hazards. We can’t protect them from everything, but we can do our best to make sure the home is free from potential perils. Like most parents of small children, you've probably checked and double-checked your home for potential dangers. You've most likely installed child-safety locks on cupboards, put covers on your electrical outlets, and placed medications out of reach. You're undoubtedly aware of the dangers posed by plastic bags and mop buckets. One child-proofing measure that you may have overlooked, however, is window cord safety. According to the Window Covering Safety Council (yep, that exists!) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), exposed or dangling window blind cords can pose a strangulation risk to babies and toddlers. They can accidentally put their heads through the loop or wrap the cord around their necks. Even older children may be at risk. To quote CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum, “Window cord strangulations are one of the top hidden hazards in the home. CPSC recommends that only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords be used in homes with young children. They are available today in the marketplace and will prevent window blind strangulations.” If, however, you can't replace your existing corded blinds or curtains (many rentals won't allow window covering changes), here are some other quick tips to ensure child window safety: - Keep furniture and other climbable objects away from windows.
- Keep window cords out of the reach of children.
- Braid or knot cords so they no longer have a loop.
- Make sure tasseled pull cords are as short as possible.
- Install cord stops- they're affordable, easy and available at most hardware stores.
- Be sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit inner-cord movement.
- Permanently anchor continuous-loop cords to the floor or wall.
As any parent of young children knows, the world is full of hidden hazards. Providing window safety for kids will eliminate one of them. We may not be able to make the world child-proof, but we can do the next best thing by making sure our homes are safe. Information provided courtesy of 
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