Apollo Blinds kick starts new child safety campaign

Child Safety Week 22nd June to 29th June 2009

As one of the UK and Ireland's largest suppliers of made-to-measure blinds, Apollo Blinds is using National Child Safety Week to kick start a new campaign to encourage child safety in relation to the operating cords on window blinds.

It comes on the back of new research that found on average only one in ten households where small children either reside or visit on a regular basis have safety devices on blind cords and chains.

The new ABC (Apollo Blinds Cord) campaign launches at the start of Child Safety Week, 22nd June 2009. It will involve Apollo's 75 stores throughout the UK and Ireland who will be campaigning in their local areas about the importance, and low cost, of fitting safety features to prevent child strangulation. Apollo is also offering a week long discount scheme on all child safety devices and has produced a new customer Child Safety brochure.

Gary Chambers, general manager at Apollo Blinds, explained: "All of our made-to-measure blinds come with a safety warning sign attached to them to alert customers to the potential dangers of looped cords, but our research has highlighted more must be done to encourage parents to keep their home safe.

"So we're working with our team of Apollo consultants at grass roots level to not only ensure all customers are aware of the importance of fitting safety devices - which in some cases can cost less than a standard fitting, but to spread the word within local schools, nurseries and other parent-friendly organisations so that parents are informed of the risk and, importantly, know how easy it is to reduce such dangers in the home."

It has been reported that eight children have been killed by window blind cords since 2000 in the UK. Two others have narrowly avoided death. In the US this figure is reported to be 91 and there is an active group - Parents For Window Blind Safety in the States, but nothing in the UK.

Just last month Sheriff Mackie issued the results of his inquiry into the tragic death of a young girl in Scotland in February 2008. In his report he estimates that every year a child loses their life as a result of looped blind cords and there are up to 20 near misses. The Sheriff made a number of recommendations, which Apollo has been doing for many years now.

EuroSafe, the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, said: "Window blinds/drapery cords are a strangulation hazard. Children become entangled in the pull cords or in the inner cords that are used to raise the slats of blinds. These entrapments can occur when a young child pulls on an inner cord and it forms a loop that a child can hang in." Fatality tends to occur when a child has fallen and got caught up in the loop.

Advice on RoSPA's website (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) calls for parents to prevent injury by making blinds safe. "Pull cords on curtains and blinds should be kept short and kept out of reach," they say. It also says that most accidents in the home are preventable through increased awareness, improvements in the home environment and greater product safety.

Apollo's Gary Chambers added: "So that's what we're aiming for. We leading the industry to heighten awareness and making sure all parents know that there are a wide range of devices and operating methods to improve the safety of blinds. We're particularly urging parents to review old operating devices and cut looped cords, as a bare minimum."

Apollo's campaign supports the BBSA (British Blind & Shutter Association) efforts to make corded products safe.

Apollo Blinds' Top Five Safety Tips For Child Proofing Window Blinds, include:

1. Get a Guard

Control-Guard Cord Safety Device is a low cost solution for increased child safety. This simple unit, suitable for roller, roman and vertical blinds, houses the operating chains and cords, and secures against the wall.

Control-Guard costs just £10.00 per blind and is fitted on to a new blind.

2. Use a wand! The Uni Wand is ideal for venetian blinds. The cords pass through the wand that's used for tilting the slats. They pull through the bottom of the wand to raise and lower the blind, but hook on to the base of the wand when the blind is raised so they're not left dangling - which again keeps hazardous cords away from small inquisitive hands and heads. The Uni-Wand is available from Apollo for £5.00 per blind.

Or, Apollo's slider wand has no cords at all and uses a pump action to open and close the blind, as well as tilt the slats. This comes in at £25.00 but is extremely neat and safe.

Or Apollo's Easy Glide system for vertical blinds also eliminates the danger as it has no chain at all. Vertical blinds simply pull across and open and close all with the wand. What's even better that this product is 10% cheaper than standard vertical blind fittings!

3. Push and Pull

For pleated blinds, there is free hanging pleated blind model - the Apollo VS1 - which simply uses push and pull handles to raise and lower it. Prices start at £70.08 for a 400mm x 600mm blind.

4. Wind it up

As a retro fit option, use a Blind Cord Shortener device available from baby equipment suppliers such as the The Baby Catalogue for just £2.50. This winds the cord up and keeps it out of reach.

5. Cut the Cord

Whatever you do, don't have a loop - simply Cut Window Blind Cords and use Safety Tassels to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops.

Apollo's experienced staff can offer more advice on safety tips and the best types of operation devices to fit to blinds, particularly if being fitted to children's bedrooms on in homes where there are young children.