2ND UPDATE:Consumer Safety Agency Recalls 5.5 Million Window Shades
26 Août 2009 - 9:07PM
Dow Jones News
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a wide recall
Wednesday of about 5.5 million roll-up and Roman window shades sold
by such retailers as IKEA International AS, Williams-Sonoma Inc.
(WSM) and Target Corp. (TGT) because of strangulation risks and
deaths.
The voluntary recalls follow similar recalls earlier this year
and last year and are part of the commission's review of voluntary
safety standards for Roman shades and rollup blinds, a commission
spokeswoman said.
About once a month, a child in the U.S. dies from a window cord
strangulation, said spokeswoman Arlene Flecha. The commission is
aware of 11 incidents since 2005 of children becoming entangled in
the inner cord of a Roman shade, and three of those children died,
according to a letter from the CPSC to the Window Covering
Manufacturers Association posted on the CPSC Web site.
"These standards at the moment specifically for Roman shades and
rollups are not adequate, so that's something the commission is
going to be working on with the industry," Flecha said.
Of six separate recalls Wednesday, the largest was one urging
consumers to stop using 4.2 million roll-up blinds imported by
Lewis Hyman Inc. after two infant boys were strangled in the
blinds' lift cord. The shades were sold exclusively at Target
stores and on its Web site.
Another 763,000 shades imported from China and sold by Target
were recalled because of a risk of strangulation.
The CPSC also recalled 120,000 Roman blinds distributed by Ikea
and 85,000 Roman shades sold by Williams-Sonoma's Pottery Barn Kids
after some near strangulations.
The CSPC also recalled some blinds made by Vertical Land Inc.
and Virginia Iron and Metal Co.
Target shares were recently up 1.3% at $47.08. Williams-Sonoma
rallied 12.5% to $17.40 after reporting a surprise profit for the
latest quarter and boosting expectations for this quarter.
Target spokeswoman Sarah Bakken said the retailer has pulled all
Roman shade products from its shelves, not just the two announced
in the CPSC recall, until retrofit kits are available from the
manufacturer. She wouldn't comment on how many products are
involved or the financial impact.
Target expects to provide information shortly on its Web site
regarding how consumers can get kits to retrofit the recalled
products from the manufacturer. Consumers can also return the item
to Target for a full refund, she said.
Representatives of Ikea and Williams-Sonoma couldn't be reached
immediately for comment.
Most window blinds have been redesigned over the years to
exclude loops in the pull cords, and the CPSC and window coverings
manufacturers have ongoing educational programs to retrofit or
remove older blinds.
But Roman shades and roll-up blinds have been the focus of the
recent recalls. Both Roman shades and roll-up blinds typically have
lifting loops that help raise the blind as a cord is pulled. The
CPSC's Web site has warnings specifically about those lifting
loops.
"It can even be a strangulation hazard when it's in the complete
down position," said another CPSC spokesman, Scott Wolfson. "The
issue is (the lifting loop) is tucked behind the shade and may not
be fully recognized by the parent as still being a strangulation
hazard if the child gets behind the Roman shade."
Falling prices of Roman shades and roll-up blinds in recent
years have made them extremely popular, though Wolfson had no
statistics on how many have been produced or sold in recent years.
The risk is mainly for children younger than three, he added.
Ralph Vasami, executive director of the Window Covering
Manufacturers Association, referred a query on the recalls to the
Window Covering Safety Council, which works with manufacturers,
importers and retailers to retrofit shades, educate consumers and
provide input on revising the standards.
Council President Michael Cienian said in an interview that one
issue under study in the revision of the voluntary manufacturing
standards is how much of a cord poses a risk and what warnings
should be on the product. Meanwhile, manufacturers are developing
new products, he said.
"Over the last few years, there's been more and more cordless
products that are available," he said. The bottom line, though, he
said, is "Corded products don't belong in children's rooms."
-By Mary Ellen Lloyd, Dow Jones Newswires; 704-371-4033;
maryellen.lloyd@dowjones.com
(Joan E. Solsman contributed to this report.)