Aside from regulating natural light and air, window blinds and shades spruce up an interior to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. For affordable blinds and shades visit this helpful site. It is, however, important to make sure that the blinds or shades that you purchase pass the product safety standards. US consumers looking to purchase window blinds and shades this 2019 will only find standard models that are either cordless or have short cords. This is so since for many years, advocates for child safety have been insistent on banning manufacturers to produce window blinds with cords. As recorded and highlighted in an investigation by ABC News in 2015, many child deaths are related to the potentially dangerous products.

WCMA or Window Covering Manufacturers Association collaborated with CPSC or Consumer Product Safety Commission to build up the new standard, which compels most window covering products that are vended in the US and Canada, like blinds and shades, to not have any cord or have unreachable or short cords.

The CPSC is a government agency in the US that safeguards the Americans from products or merchandises that may cause a possible threat to safety. They focus on consumer products that present an unreasonable hazard of fire, electrical malfunction, chemical exposure, or mechanical failure. Products that pose danger and harm to children are a high priority as well.

“All companies who manufacture, distribute, or sell window coverings in the U.S. must comply with the voluntary safety standard or face enforcement action by the CPSC and/or be open to legal action if non-compliant products are sold,” says Ralph Vasami, Executive Director of WCMA.

The industry group gave recognition to Ann Marie Buerkle, the new CPSC Chairman, with pushing up the effectivity of new standards from its original target date, January 9, 2019, to December 15, 2018. Companies and manufacturers are then expected to start introducing and offering the new cordless models.

Buerkle voiced out her support for the change. In her statement, she says, “extensive efforts have been made by CPSC staff, consumer advocates, retailers, manufacturers, test labs and other stakeholders in the development of this consensus standard. I applaud and appreciate all of these efforts. … I look forward to this same group of experts, taking the next step to address strangulation hazards related to custom window coverings.”