Cordaway – A simple solution

Blind cord injuries and unfortunately fatalities are far more common than most of us would imagine. Newer blinds have a range of safety options as displayed in the video below.

The point is that there are literally millions of the older corded blinds still in use worldwide. Canada has banned the sale of corded or chained blinds but this edict only applies to new blinds.

Cordaway provides a safe, sensible device for both new and older blinds in all homes. It is actually unlawful for landlords not to provide recommended safety devices in all rental properties, Australia wide. Actually it’s just common sense to fit and use an effective child safety device on all blind cords.

Here is a recent report from the US on another Blind Cord tragedy.

Child death by window blind strangulation is more common than one would think

OREM, Utah (ABC 4 Utah) – This year in the United States, seven children have died by being strangled by a window cord. On average one child between the ages of 7 months and 10 years old will die each month in the country.

The latest victim was a 4-year-old Orem girl.

The accident happened on April 30th.

“The mother found her,” said Lieutenant Craig Martinez with the Orem Police Department. “Somehow, we don’t know if she was playing in the blinds or was jumping back and forth but somehow she just got caught up in them, in the cord.”

The blinds were modernized and had two cords that dangled.

“She did what 4-year-olds do which was jump on their bed. And her bed was close to this window,” said the Lieutenant.

A neighbor tried to give her CPR outside the home while the mother talked to police. The child was taken to an area hospital, but it was just too late.

“They were able to have the funeral services the last few days, but I can’t say how they are doing,” said Lt. Martinez.

North of Salt Lake in 2006, another mother’s child Abbigale Wentz suffered the same fate, she spoke to the Orem family about the tragedy.

“Seeing that family grieving the exact same way, not everyone does grieve is the same but to watch to watch them go through that brought everything back to the surface again,” said Leslie Wentz.

Wentz now works with Parents for Window Blinds Safety.

“I didn’t know they were a dangerous product,” said Wentz. “It helps me to be able to help someone else through my daughter’s death. It’s hard to talk about her still but it gets easier.”

Bringing more attention back on blind cords so that other families don’t suffer the same fate as these two did.

Debbie Hill with House of Blinds in Salt Lake City says, “If you have existing blinds and are concerned about that they have ways to retrofit them so they are safer in your home.”

The company says they have modernized blinds just to keep children safe.

“They have stops so that the cords can’t be pulled through the ladders and wrapped around the children’s necks. They have cordless shades that just push up and down without lift cords. They have motorized shades that work by remote control. They also carry kits too for existing blinds that [are] offered through consumer safety,” says Hill.

Other things you can do to childproof your blinds are to shorten the cords that dangle or secure them to the wall and to move all furniture away from any windows.

Source: good4utah.com

Cordaway is now at the stage of production testing and will be available early in the new year.

To be Kid-Safe, it’s really simple. Fit a Cordaway Blind Cord Safety Device and ensure real safety for your family.

Blind Cord Safety – a new approach

The issue of Blind Cord Safety is real. Please take the time to read this article. The danger is especially relevant where young families live in older homes.

Watch the Cordaway Video below

Cordaway offers a safe, child proof option to protect you and your family from the dangers of unrestrained blind cords.

The Dangers Of Blind Cords

A scary silent killer

Being a 30-something-year-old first-time Mum and living in the same older style home for the past ten years, let’s just say my house was far from toddler proof.

Recently, I went through the ever growing list of what my husband and I still needed to kid proof around the house. Securing the blind cords to the wall was on the list. My husband didn’t see the urgency of this task given our son has only just turned one and is not yet walking. I tended to agree because there were other priorities on the list.

I had previously mentioned to my husband of the potential strangulation dangers of blind cords to young children (believe it or not all the way up to the age of ten), but when I read the statistics surrounding deaths from blind cords in Australia, I was astounded.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), between one and two children die in Australian homes every year as a result of non-compliant corded blinds and curtains. Most of these deaths occur in children under the age of three.

Deaths involving blind cords occur when the loop of the cord wraps around a child’s neck, normally, when they are sleeping near or playing around looped blind cords. Children have also been known to be strangled by blind cords when standing on chairs looking out windows.

The ACCC recommends parents and carers follow four simple steps to make blind cords safer around children:

• Check the cords;
• Secure cords out of reach of children;
• Choose safe blinds and curtains that meet national mandatory standards; and
• Keep children away from blind and curtain cords

It’s also important that parents and carers consider blind and curtain cord safety when away from the home, particularly when visiting friends or while on holiday.

Australia has strict national mandatory standards when it comes to blind and curtain cord safety.

In September 2013, the ACCC took legal action against a hardware supplier for selling nearly 4,000 sets of indoor roman blinds that did not meet the national standards.

The blinds did not contain the required safety message to be featured on external packaging warning customers of the dangers of strangulation if the product is not installed according to instructions. The item has since been recalled and a number of measures have been put in place to prevent similar products from being sold that do not meet the national standards.

It’s very easy to get caught up in life, become complacent and have the attitude that ‘it won’t happen to us’ when it comes to blind cord safety.

It is important to remember that young children don’t understand how dangerous it is to loop a cord around their neck or just how quickly they can become entangled in the cord. By following the four simple steps outlined by the ACCC, this will help to prevent numerous unnecessary deaths among young children in Australia.

After reading these shocking statistics and realising just how quickly and easily a child can be strangled by blind cords, this task has now become an urgent priority on my toddler proofing list. Guess what my husband is doing the second he gets home from work?

Source: stayathomemum.com.au

Cordaway – How it works

Here is the video of our Cordaway Safety Device for your consideration. Simple, easy to use and effective, the Cordaway product will be available in mid to late January online.

Cordaway stores ALL of the blind cord and is a snap-shut device. It’s easy to install and will be cost effective and affordable for most households, priced at under $10 per unit.

Cordaway – Protecting your loved ones.

To be Kid-Safe, it’s really simple. Fit a Cordaway Blind Cord Safety Device and ensure real safety for your family.