The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Window Covering Safety Council have announced today a voluntary recall of all Roman shades and roll-up blinds due to the strangulation risk they present to young children.

Since 2006, there have been reports of five deaths and 16 near-strangulations due to Roman shades, while roll-up blinds have caused three deaths since 2001. The shade and blind cords become strangulation hazards when a child manages to get the cord wrapped around his or her neck.

Consumers who have Roman or roll-up shades should contact the WCSC immediately to receive a free repair kit, either at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling (800) 506-4636 at any time.

To help prevent child strangulation due to window coverings’ cords, parents and caregivers should follow these guidelines:

• Examine all shades and blinds in the home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC and the WCSC recommend the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.

• Do not place cribs, beds, and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to the cords.

• Make loose cords inaccessible.

• If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cords or chains taut.