Though most people don’t think about this, blinds have a high potential of causing injury to children if you use them at home. This means that when you are thinking of buying them, it is important for you to take into account the various things you need to look out for in order to guarantee the safety of the kids. This is particularly so if you intend to use them in their rooms, or in a facility where there will be a lot of children such as in a daycare center or when you have several young children in the home. Fortunately, there are several definite measures that can be taken to eliminate this risk.
How can your child end up being harmed by the blinds?
There are many ways in which the blinds can cause injury to a child. However, the commonest of these is strangulation. If you happen to have blinds that have a very long cord, your child may end up being trapped by the card, and then be progressively strangled as they struggle to get free of the cord. In most cases, parents end up finding their children on time, helping them get free before they end up suffering from more severe injury. However, there are times when a child might end up being hospitalized, even if they are discovered to have been strangulated soon after the accident.
Other rare ways in which a child can end up being harmed by the blinds include when they end up having their fingers caught between the slats of the blinds. Fortunately, the injuries that are sustained by this are usually not very severe. Most of the time, they end up only suffering from a minor bruise on their fingers.
Blind designs that offer increased safety
To prevent the above accidents from happening, you should consider investing in blinds that are designed in such a manner that their safety is more or less innate. Some of the design features that often provide this guarantee include:
• Cordless blinds: Most people associate blinds with cords, which are used to open and close them. However, there are a few types that are designed with no cord, in that opening and closing them requires only minimal force on the slats themselves. Since the blinds have no cords, they are unlikely to be associated with any strangulation.
• Using motorized blinds: The other alternative you can try out is the use of blinds that are operated using electric motors. These also don’t have any cords, which means that they are associated with a much lower risk of strangulation compared to conventional blinds. In addition to being safer, they are also useful as window treatments for windows that are physically out of reach, since one only needs a remote control to operate the blinds.
• The use of external blinds: External blinds have also been shown to be a safe alternative to regular blinds, since they reduce the risk of strangulation by the cord.
The role of in-built safety systems
In addition to the above, it is also important to explore the use of inbuilt safety systems to make the use of the blinds safer. Some of the inbuilt safety devices that can be used in such a setting include a chain break connector, which will separate when the blind cord is subjected to too much pressure. When the threshold for breakage is very low, it means that the risk of any injury arising from strangulation will be reduced. Other systems that have the same effect include breakaway tassels. These are located at the end of the cord used to operate the blinds. They also break when subjected to too much pressure, which in turn breaks the looping in the cord.
Safety add-ons that can be used
In addition to the above, there are a few other things that can be added to any blinds in order to make them much safer. The good thing about using this type of technology to improve the safety of the blinds is that since they are add-ons, you don’t need to buy new blinds to make them safer. Examples of them include a cord and chain tensioner. This is a device that is attached to the wall, and through which the cord used to operate the blinds is passed. When in use, it ensures that the cord is always under tension, reducing the risk of a child becoming trapped in the cord. It is important to make sure that such devices are installed properly if you expect them to work well.
As you can see, there are many things that can be done to make your blinds much safer than they usually are, particularly if you have children around the house. If you intend to use any of the above technologies, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you get the most out of them including:
• Start planning with safety in mind: When getting blinds for a home that is likely to be populated by young children, you should keep safety in mind from the word go. This will be cheaper and easier than neglecting it, and then seeking to make the changes required after the blinds are already up.
• Consult if you are not sure: Rather than working using trial and error, always consult widely before making any decisions regarding the use of such blinds. For instance, there are times when you might not be sure about which types of blinds are safer for kids. If you consult a contractor who has a lot of experience in such matters, they are likely to help you figure this out with ease.
• Sample multiple products before settling on one: When thinking of buying devices such as cord tensioners for the first time, it’s always a good idea to sample several brands and types before you can pick the most useful one. This is particularly important if you have never bought such items before.
As long as you keep all the above pointers in mind, you should not have a hard time keeping your home free of blinds-related accidents involving your kids.
