The latest in a series of window-covering recalls involves 1.3 million roman and roller shades from Smith + Noble. Both types have cords that can wrap around a child’s neck and lead  to strangulation. The company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have received one report of a five-year-old boy who became entangled; no medical treatment was needed.

The recall involves all roller shades that do not have a tension device attached to the continuous loop cord and all custom, made-to-order Roman shades. Brand names include Smith+Noble, Christopher Lowell by Smith+Noble, Jessitt Gold, Shop Blinds and Window Elements. The window coverings were sold from 1998 through April 2010.

If you have the Roman shades, contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) for a free repair kit at (800) 506-4636 anytime or visit www.windowcoverings.org.

If you have the  roller shades, check them to make sure the tension device provided is attached to the continuous loop cord and installed into the wall. If you don’t have the tension device, stop using the roller shades and contact WCSC to receive a free replacement.

For additional information, contact Smith + Noble.

In June, safety agencies in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. agreed on the immediate need for safety standards for window coverings. In the U.S. alone, at least 120 children have been strangled and 113 more injured by the cords of blinds and shades. The Window Covering Manufacturers Association, the industry’s trade group, has spent years trying to  develop an effective voluntary standard, but it has clearly failed.  An appropriate standard must now come from safety agencies.

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