Every year a least one child in UK gets strangled by the trailing cords from window blinds. In 2010 unfortunately two toddlers were killed in two separate incidents. On 8th February Lillian Bagnall-Lambe from Stafford died at the age of only 16 months after she became entangled in the blinds at her house. Only four days previous to this another toddler, Harrison Joyce from Litchfield, three, died at his home the same way. The County Coroner and Staffordshire Police warned parents about the potential danger of the cords from window blinds.
Det Insp.Vicky Roberts said "Heart breaking accidents like these, make people aware of the dangers that exist in our houses"
"It is extremely important that parents look around there homes for dangers that could effect their children."
"Harrison's Law"
Harrison's father, Scott Joyce, 38, has set up a registered charity, Harrison's Law. In the memory of his son he is campaigning for the banning of looped cords in the UK and making people aware of the dangers of looped cords .
Astonishingly, according to Harrison's Law's website, 359 children died in USA between 1985 and 1995. This has lead to the banning of looped cords and they haven't been manufactured for nearly 15 years now.
The blind industry is very mature in UK and there are millions of blinds in peoples homes.
Paul Pollard-Fraser of Deva blinds Chester said "I have been aware that at least one child dies every year in UK by getting caught up in the loop cords and I am always conscious that I don't want it to be mine this year."
"The manufactures all include warning labels, but I think it is the installers responsibility to ensure that young children are not put at risk"
"I always ask if young children visit or live in the house. If so I can adjust most blinds to make sure that the cords are high up and away from youngsters. For vertical blinds I have an option to use a child safe wand. You move this to draw that blind and turn it to open and close them. There are no looped cords here at all."
"There are many options to make blinds safe for young children. Parents must take responsibility also and make sure that the cords are kept out of the way, maybe by using a hook to hook the cords up high out of reach"
“There is no regulations as to the type of cords that we can or can't use. I think most of the blind fitters are professional tradesmen and take into account young children when they fit blinds”
In 2008 in Scotland, Sheriff David Mackie called for a ban on looped blind cords. This followed the death of Muireann McLaughlin. The two year old girl died after slipping of a play box while waving goodbye to her grandmother. She got entangled in the blind and was found by her Father lifeless.
Sheriff David Mackie produced his findings and with consultation with the industries trade association recommended that blinds with looped cords should be banned.
Since then in 2009, Gethin Ifor Jones died aged 23 months and in 2010 there were 2 deaths in Staffordshire.
How many infants will die in 2011 ?
