Child Safety

Our goal at Shade Works Window Fashions is to ensure that our full line of products are safely manufactured for your home. Each and every one of our products is not only custom-manufactured, but also complies with the full range of child safety standards outlined by Health Canada.

Blind and Shade cords can be hazardous to babies and small children. Our mandate at Shade Works is to provide user friendly, safe control options for our window treatments with features such as cordless controls, automated shades and providing cord tension devices.

How does Shade Works Window Fashions and Health Canada help keep children safe?

•We work with both industry professionals and the public to assist in the prevention of product-related injuries and to promote safety standards and guidelines.

•We encourage the design and manufacturing of safer products for the Canadian market by providing importers and manufacturers with hazard guidelines and product technical information.

•We conduct research on potential hazards associated with consumer products.

• We raise awareness of potential risks of injury through our product safety advisories, warnings and recalls.

•We develop and enforce product- safety regulations and standards.

•We provide channels for reporting a product-related injury, or a safety-related issue with a consumer product.

SWWF, along with Health Canada, helps protect the Canadian public through research, assessment and collaboration in the management of the health risks and safety hazards associated with the many consumer products that Canadians use and enjoy everyday.

 SWWF Safety Tips: Helping keep your Home and Children Safe!

Child Safety In The Home

Cords from blinds and curtains can be hazardous to babies and young children. The cords from blinds and curtains present 2 main strangulation hazards:

1. Cords forming a loop in which a child can get caught

2. Long cords being wrapped around a child’s neck

Whether your blinds are new or old, do not leave cords hanging,

Keep your cords high and out of the reach of children!

•Cut your cords short when blinds are fully down or when curtains are fully closed.

•Whether the blind is up or down, make sure your children cannot reach the cords. Tie them fully out of reach.

Child Safety In The Home

SWWF Recommendations:

Refrain from putting sofas, chairs, tables, shelves or bookcases near windows- this will prevent children from climbing up to reach the blind or curtain cord.

Refrain from putting a crib, bed, high chair or playpen in close proximity to a window or a patio door where a child can reach the blind or curtain cord and endanger themselves.

We recommend that you remove the loop in the cord by cutting the cord in half. Plastic tassels or break-away devices can be installed at the end of  the cords.

The installation of tie-downs is a recommended safety feature for Shade Works Vertical Blinds. These devices can be purchased at hardware or department stores.When installing tie-downs, follow the manufacturer’s instructions that come with the product. Ensure that the tie-down device is securely attached to the wall beside the window.

Wrap the cord around a cleat or 2 nails or screws that you have attached to the wall near the top of the blinds or curtains. Use a clip, clothes pin or big twist tie to keep the cord high and ensure that it is out of the reach of children.