TODAY Staff
In the wake of three child deaths and the near strangulation of seven other children, federal authorities and several businesses announced Wednesday that nearly 5.5 million hazardous window shades and blinds are being recalled immediately.
The window coverings include Roman shades, roll-up blinds, cellular shades and traditional blinds that provide young children with relatively easy access to exposed cords and loops that could strangle them.
The businesses participating in the recall are Pottery Barn Kids, IKEA, Vertical Land Inc., Lewis Hyman Inc., Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. and Victoria Classics. Victoria Classics’ Roman shades and many of Lewis Hyman’s window shades were sold exclusively at Target stores
Two of the three child deaths involved 1-year-old boys who became entangled in cords on Lewis Hyman roll-up blinds and Roman shades. One boy from Norridgewock, Maine was strangled in the lift-cord loop of a roll-up blind that fell into his portable crib in 2007. The other boy from Conway, Ark., was discovered last year with his head caught between the exposed inner cord and the cloth on the backside of a Roman shade.
The third child death involved a 4-year-old girl from Pensacola, Fla., who strangled in the loop of a Vertical Land vertical-blind cord in 2006.
‘Consider replacing the blinds’
In a statement, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urged people to examine the shades and blinds in their homes.
“If looped pull cords, exposed inner cords or exposed lifting loops are found and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing the blinds or shades with products that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords,” the agency advised.
Six incidents of near strangulation involved Pottery Barn Kids’ Roman shades. In all six cases between 2006 and 2008, children became entangled in the exposed inner cords on the back of the shades.
Scissors were used to release two of these children,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported. “Two children were found with red marks around their necks after having freed themselves. No permanent injuries were sustained.”
Another near strangulation involved IKEA Roman blinds. A 2-year-old boy was saved when his mother found him hanging from the blinds’ looped bead chain.
No incidents have been reported involving window coverings sold by Lutron Electronics Co. and Victoria Classics, but their products are being recalled because of design hazards.
For detailed information on any of these product recalls, visit the Web site of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Here are some additional details about the products involved:
LEWIS HYMAN INC.
Name of product: One-quarter-inch Oval Roll-up Blinds and Woolrich Roman Shades
Units recalled: About 4.2 million roll-up blinds and 600,000 Roman shades
Importer: Lewis Hyman Inc. of Carson, Calif.
Sold: The Roman shades were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and on Target.com from March 2006 to December 2008 for between $25 and $43. The roll-up blinds were sold at retail stores nationwide from January 1999 through December 2003 for between $6 and $20.
Consumer contact: Lewis Hyman Inc. by phone at (877) 354-5457 or (310) 532-5700, or online at this site.
LUTRON SHADING SOLUTIONS
Name of product: Roller Shades
Units recalled: About 245,000
Distributor: Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. of Coopersburg, Pa.
Manufacturer: Virginia Iron and Metal Company Inc. (VIMCO) of Ashland, Va.
Sold: Through specialty dealers and Expo Design Centers nationwide from January 2000 to April 2009 for between $200 and $2,000 per shade.
Consumer contact: Lutron by phone at (866) 793-4270 or (888) 588-7661, or online at this site.
VICTORIA CLASSICS
Name of product: Thermal Sailcloth and Matchstick Bamboo Roman Shades
Units recalled: About 163,000
Importer: Victoria Classics of Edison, N.J.
Sold: At Target stores and at Target.com nationwide from September 2008 to June 2009 for between $15 and $40.
Consumer contact: Victoria Classics by phone at (800) 583-9845 or online at this site.
IKEA
Name of product: MELINA Roman Blinds
Units recalled: About 120,000 units
Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings of Conshohocken, Pa.
Sold: At IKEA stores nationwide from August 2006 to June 2008 for between $20 and $40.
Consumer contact: IKEA by phone at (888) 966-4532 or online at this site.
POTTERY BARN KIDS
Name of product: Roman Shades
Units recalled: About 85,000 units
Distributor: Pottery Barn Kids/Williams-Sonoma Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.
Sold: Pottery Barn Kids catalog nationwide and through the firm’s Web site at PotteryBarnKids.com from January 2003 to May 2007 for between $30 and $60.
Consumer contact: Pottery Barn Kids by phone at (800) 492-1949 or online at this site.
VERTICAL LAND INC.
Name of products: Horizontal and Vertical Blinds and Cellular Shades
Units recalled: 15,400 horizontal blinds, 16,400 vertical blinds, 800 cellular shades
Manufacturer: Vertical Land Inc. of Panama City Beach, Fla.
Sold: At Vertical Land stores in Panama City and Pensacola, Fla., from January 1992 to December 2006 for between $60 and $200, depending on the size of the blind.
Consumer contact: Vertical Land by phone at (800) 423-8653
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