Lincolnshire County Council is warning parents about the danger of blind cords, and offering free blind cleats to help prevent accidents.
Research by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) shows that there have been at least 27 deaths due to looped blind cords since 1999, with 14 of those happening between 2010 and February 2013.
Last week it was reported that a 21-month-old girl from Northern Ireland had died after becoming entangled in a blind cord at her home.
Helene Denness, senior specialty registrar in Public Health, said: “Over one million children are taken to accident and emergency after accidents in or around the home each year. Often tragic accidents occur through play when it comes to blind cords.
“Our advice to parents is to only install blinds that are safe by design, such as a cordless blind or ones with a concealed or tensioned cord. But if you live in Lincolnshire and do have blinds with a cord, the County Council offers free blind cleats to keep the hanging wire out of the way of little ones.”
The advice from ROSPA:
Install blinds that do not have a cord, particularly in a child’s bedroom
Do not place a child’s cot, bed, playpen or highchair near a window
Pull cords on curtains and blinds should be kept short and kept out of reach
Tie up the cords or use one of the many cleats, cord tidies, clips or ties that are available.
Do not hang toys or objects that could be a hazard on the cot or bed
Don’t hang drawstring bags where a small child could get their head through the loop of the drawstring.
Local residents can order free blind cords from the County Council by following this link.