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Are blind cords dangerous? How to make every window safe

Loose blind and curtain cords can strangle a young child in moments. What Australian law requires, and how to secure the cords already in your home.

A parent fixes a blind cord tensioner to the window frame while a toddler plays on the floor near a cot across the room

A loop of blind or curtain cord can catch around a young child's neck in moments, often in a cot or on a couch pushed against a window. In 2014 the ACCC put it at one to two Australian children dying from blind or curtain cords each year, and Queensland's Office of Fair Trading counted at least 12 deaths since 2000.

Raising the blind isn't enough. Children climb onto window sills and furniture to look outside, and can reach cords from there.

Fix it today

  1. Move the cot. Keep cots, beds, highchairs and playpens away from windows, out of reach of any cord.
  2. Move the climbing furniture. Couches, chairs, tables, shelves and bookcases don't belong under a corded window.
  3. Cut the loops. Where you can, cut looped cords and fit tassels instead.
  4. Tie down what's left. Blinds that need a loop can have it held tight in a tension device, or wound around a cleat. Screw them to the wall or window frame, so a child can't pull them off. Hardware and window furnishing stores sell both.
  5. Never leave a child alone in a room with unsecured cords, even for a short while.

What the law says

Since 2010, corded blinds and curtains sold in Australia must carry a warning label on the packaging, a warning label or swing tag on the cord, and installation instructions.

Since 1 January 2015, anyone installing them in a home must make sure that:

  1. a loose cord can't form a loop 220 mm or longer anywhere lower than 1,600 mm above the floor
  2. a cleat sits at least 1,600 mm above the floor
  3. the installer's name and contact details are on a label on the blind.

Blinds installed before 2015, and blinds in caravans, mobile homes and boats, aren't covered by the installation rules. Check them yourself.

Buying new blinds

Choose blinds that work without exposed cords. If you rent, ask your landlord or agent to help get cords and chains out of reach.

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