The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Blinds and shades being recalled due to risks of strangulation
August 31, 2009
About 15,400 horizontal, 16,400 vertical, and 800 cellular shades by Vertical Land Inc., of Panama City Beach, Fla., are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The hazards are:
Horizontal blinds – The blinds don’t have inner cord stop devices to prevent the accessible inner cords from being pulled out. If an inner cord is pulled out, a child can become entangled in the loop and strangle.
Vertical blinds – Strangulations can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the freestanding loop formed by the bead chain or by the cord with a weighted device.
Cellular shades – Strangulations can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the shade’s freestanding looped cord.
In May 2006, the commission received a report of a 4-year-old girl from Pensacola, Fla., who strangled in the loop of a vertical blind cord that wasn’t attached to the wall or floor.
The recall involves all Vertical Land custom-made vertical and cellular window coverings that don’t have a cord tensioning device and horizontal blinds that don’t have inner cord stop devices.
A sticker identification label can be found on the head rail of some of the window coverings, which lists the company’s name, address, and telephone number.
Vertical Land stores in Panama City and Pensacola, Fla., sold the blinds and shades from January 1992 through December 2006 for between $60 and $200, depending on the size of the blind.
Consumers should immediately stop using the window coverings and contact Vertical Land to receive a free retrofit kit, the commission advises.
Call Vertical Land at 800-423-8653 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday to obtain the retrofit kit or obtain other information.
Other recalls for shades and blinds are:
Roller shades by Lurton Electronics Co. Inc., of Coopersburg, Pa.
Thermal sailcloth and matchstick bamboo Roman shades sold at Target.
Roman shades distributed by Pottery Barn Kids/Williams-Sonoma, Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.
MELINA Roman blinds by IKEA Home Furnishings.
Oval roll-up blinds and Woolrich Roman shades sold at Target.
To find out about other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.
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