Window Cord Safety: At least one child...

Window Cord Safety: At least one child a month is accidentally strangled in window blind and drapery pull cords, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said this week as it announced a program to prevent such tragedies.

The solution involves cutting the loop in most window blind cords and affixing safety pulls at the two ends. The new design, co-developed with the Window Covering Safety Council, replaces the loop with safety tassels. The council will provide the tassels free to households, along with installation instructions. For more information, call (800) 506-4636. Two-corded window coverings sold in stores after Jan. 1 will be manufactured with a safer design.

The commission said window coverings, such as vertical blinds, with continuous-loop systems cannot be fixed with tassels but can be fixed with tie-down devices.