Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall of Roman Shades, Roll-Up Blinds, and Roller Blinds by Hanover Direct/Domestications

On November 10, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of Roman shades, roller/roll-up blinds manufactured by Hanover Direct Inc.

The CPSC received a new report of the death of a 22-month-old boy in Cedar Falls, Iowa who was found hanging by his neck from the outer pull cords of a Roman shade in May 2010. The outer pull cords were knotted at the bottom. He was rescued by his father but died later in the hospital.  In March 2008, a 2-year-old boy from Ocean View, Delaware climbed up on a toy chest to look out of a window and became entangled in the inner cords of a Roman shade. His parents removed the cord. No permanent injuries were sustained. This incident prompted a previous recall.

This recall involves all styles of Roman shades with inner cords, all styles of roll-up blinds, and roller blinds that do not have a tension device. A tension device is intended to be attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and installed into the wall or floor.

The recalled items were sold at Hanover Direct/Domestications, the Company Store/Company Kids; online at www.domestications.com and www.thecompanystore.com; and through catalog sales nationwide from January 1996 through October 2009 for between $20 and $579.  Consumers should immediately stop using all Roman shades with inner cords, all roll-up blinds, and all roller blinds that do not have a tension device, and contact the Window Covering Safety Council at (800) 506-4636 anytime for free repair kits or visit www.windowcoverings.org. Consumers who have roller blinds with a tension device should make sure the tension device is attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and is installed into the wall or floor.

For additional information, contact Domestications or Hanover at (800) 453-1106 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET seven days a week, or visit the firm's websites at www.domestications.com or www.hanoverdirect.com

Note: Examine all shades and blinds in your home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side or back of the product. CPSC recommends the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.