WCSC Announces National Window Covering Safety Month

Furniture World News

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) announced that they will partner once again this October to observe National Window Covering Safety Month. This year’s campaign will mark the sixth-annual observance. According to information provided by the CPSC, since 1990 approximately 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords. This month-long, nationwide campaign is designed to increase consumer awareness of potential window-cord hazards, as well as to urge parents and caregivers of young children to only use cordless window products in young children’s bedrooms and replace all window coverings in the home made before 2001 with today’s safer products. To invoke industry-wide participation, the “Make the Right Choice, KIDS…CORDS…CAUTION” safety slogan will be the theme for the promotional campaign. In addition, the official National Window Covering Safety Month campaign logo, depicting a child’s hand grabbing the cords of a window blind, will be used. The WCSC will direct public awareness initiatives and National Window Covering Safety Month marketing activities on behalf of the industry. Planned initiatives include issuing news releases and for print and broadcast media, a special National Window Covering Safety Month page on the WCSC Web site, and cooperative promotional efforts with safety groups. In addition, the WCSC will provide artwork, ad templates and cord-safety information for reproduction and use by industry members and retailers in promoting National Window Covering Safety Month. Materials can be downloaded free of charge at www.windowcoverings.org/industry. Access requires a user name and password: the user name is October; the password is safety. The Window Covering Safety Council is a coalition of major U.S. manufacturers, importers and retailers of window coverings. Consumers wishing to obtain additional information can contact WCSC at www.windowcoverings.org or its toll-free phone line at 1-800-506-4636.