Blind cords are one of those hazards that seem small until you read the case reports. Looped cords and chains at child height have caused fatal accidents in ordinary family homes, which is why safety standards now apply to every new blind sold and fitted in the UK, and why this deserves five minutes of any parent's attention.
What the current standards require
Blinds must be made and installed so that cords and chains do not form a hazardous loop within a child's reach. In practice, for fitted blinds, that means chain and cord tensioners fixed taut to the wall or frame, breakaway connectors that separate under pressure, restrictions on cord lengths, and safety warnings supplied with the product. A professional installation includes these as a matter of course, fitted and tested, not left in the bag.
The safest choices for children's rooms
- Cordless blinds, operated by a handle or spring mechanism, remove the hazard entirely.
- Motorised blinds do the same with more convenience: no cords, no chains, and blackout that rises on a schedule. Our motorised blinds page covers the options.
- Tensioned chain systems, properly fitted, make conventional blinds compliant, though for nurseries cordless remains the gold standard.
- Curtains carry no cord hazard at all, and blackout curtains are often the best answer for a child's bedroom anyway.
Making existing blinds safer today
For blinds already in your home: fit tensioners so every chain and cord is held taut against the wall, use cleats mounted high out of reach for corded curtains and blinds, move cots, beds and climbable furniture away from windows, and replace any blind with a free hanging looped cord in a child's room rather than trying to patch it.
Questions to ask any blind supplier
Ask whether the blind meets current child safety standards, what safety devices are included, whether the fitter installs and tests them, and what cordless or motorised alternatives exist for the rooms where children sleep and play. Any good supplier answers these happily. At Casa by Joanna every blind is made to current standards with tensioners fitted as standard, and cordless and motorised options are always offered for children's rooms, because this is one area where the answer should never be left to chance.