Corded blinds can be a serious safety hazard, but many people don’t appreciate the risk or understand the regulations. A simple low-fee add-on to the regular smoke alarm service is the solution to corded blind safety for our QLD and NSW clients.
What agents, landlords and homeowners need to know
Tragically, one to two Australian children die every year as a result of accidental strangulation by a blind cord at home.
To stop preventable child deaths, meticulous legislation has been brought in to govern the installation of venetian, roman and holland blinds, curtains and any other window fittings containing cords.
But since designers and home decorators are usually more focused on aesthetics than safety, and the risk isn’t properly understood, a majority of homes are not compliant with this legislation.
How dangerous can an improperly fitted blind cord actually be?
Due to the risk of child injury and death, landlords and property agents are required to maintain the compliance of all corded window fittings in rental properties in accordance with legislation. Agents may be contractually responsible for informing landlords of their responsibilities and ensuring that corded window coverings are correctly fitted and regularly maintained.
For homeowners with children living in or visiting their home, being aware of the risks and requirements could prevent a needless death happening on their property.
There are strict restrictions regarding the height at which cords can hang, the circumstances in which a cord guide is required and mandatory safety labelling.
The restrictions are governed by the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard – Corded Internal Window Coverings) Regulations 2010 and the Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014.
The regulations apply to all window fixtures containing cords that have been fitted since 2010 and have been legally enforceable since 2015.
A simple summary of the legislation details can be found here.
Safety management requires safety experts
Don’t assume blinds have been correctly installed. A 2016 survey of display homes conducted by the ACCC found that only 10% of the homes would be compliant if they were sold with the window coverings as installed. It’s crucial that window coverings are fitted and checked by a compliance expert.
Detector Inspector fits and maintain blinds and window coverings in accordance with all the relevant legislation. We offer this as an add-on to our smoke alarm safety program in QLD and NSW, meaning that blinds can be done in the same visit as smoke alarms so there’s no extra admin or separate appointments.
Our annual corded blinds service includes:
- Safety and compliance check of all blinds, window coverings and fittings
- Free replacement or installation of missing or damaged cleats, cord guides, warning labels and swing tags
- Cord shortening as required for beaded metal chains
- Recommended solutions for any window coverings that cannot be made to comply
- Issuing of safety instructions to the people who occupy the home
- Service report including a statement of compliance for the owner/agent’s records
- Digital records including time, date and GPS stamped photographs of each window fitting at the property to demonstrate compliance
Check out pricing and more details here.
Don’t let your property become a statistic
Whether you’re a property manager, a landlord or a homeowner with little ones, the burden falls to you to make sure that corded blinds are kept up to standard to keep kids safe.
With a blind safety service as an add-on to the regular smoke alarm service, property safety can be maintained all in one annual visit with no extra hassle.
