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admin
Admin
24 Posts
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 Posted -
23/06/2010
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14:07
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A campaign to prevent accidents involving children and window blinds is being launched today, with the support of the family of a toddler who died after becoming tangled in a blind cord.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Scotland is teaming up with Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, North Lanarkshire Council and the Safer Homes project to run a pilot scheme, funded by the Scottish Government, which aims to prevent the deaths of any more young children in blind cord accidents.
The family of two-year-old Muireann McLaughlin, who became tangled in a blind cord at her home in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, in 2008, is supporting the campaign.
Muireann’s father and mother, Angus and Kate, will attend an event at Wishaw General Hospital today, at which the Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing MSP, will give the opening address to launch the campaign.
Running for six months, the pilot project will involve the distribution of safety leaflets and cleats, around which blind cords can be tied, to families with young children across North Lanarkshire. Elsewhere, members of Home Safety Scotland will distribute leaflets raising awareness of the danger that looped blind cords pose to children.
Angus and Kate McLaughlin said: “Muireann was a delightful, beautiful child and her death has caused utter devastation to our lives. We do not want what happened to us to happen to anyone else and strongly urge people to remove the kind of blinds with cords and replace with non-corded products.”
RoSPA typically hears about one or two children dying after becoming tangled in blind cords in the UK each year, and there are likely to be many more near misses.
Jennifer Henderson, RoSPA Scotland’s home safety officer, said: “With blinds already fitted in so many homes, it’s important to raise awareness of the danger and how these accidents can be prevented. RoSPA is also continuing to work with the blind industry, government and standards bodies at a UK and European level to seek modifications to the design of blinds.”
Robert Scott, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue’s area commander for North Lanarkshire, said: “Although fire safety is our prime concern, our firefighters are determined to reduce all kinds of risk in the home. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue totally supports the campaign to make window blind cords safer. If firefighters carrying out home fire safety visits discover dangerous cords they will give leaflets and advice to householders about how the cords can be tucked out of children’s way.”
David Roderick, North Lanarkshire Council trading standards manager said: “Our advice is simply to ensure that cords are always tied out of the way of children, which can be done by fitting a wall clamp. Children are naturally curious, which can lead them into danger around the home. A looped cord is an unnecessary risk, but one easily remedied.”
The danger for young children is that a loop that hangs at waist height for an adult could slip around the neck of a young child if he or she trips. Or, if the loop is at floor level, it could become wrapped around the neck of a baby who is crawling. There have also been cases in which babies have been accidentally strangled by cords hanging into their cots.
RoSPA advises people buying new blinds to look for a design that doesn’t have cords or chains. The supervision of young children also plays a vital part in reducing the likelihood of accidents happening.
The blind cord safety leaflet can be viewed at www.rospa.com/HomeSafety/Info/blind-cord-safety.pdf
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BLIND CORD SAFETY CAMPAIGN
