The Smith+Noble company has added its name to the many retailers joining a nationwide voluntary recall of ALL Roman shades and roll-up blinds, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr. said on Monday.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with multiple firms, announced in December 2009 that it would voluntarily recall millions of window coverings, including Roman shades and roll-up blinds.
These window coverings present a serious risk of strangulation to young children. Five deaths and 16 near-strangulations attributed to Roman shades have been reported since 2006, along with three deaths caused by roll-up blinds since 2001. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the back side of the blind, or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. On roll-up blinds, strangulation can occur if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled in it, or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.
Smith+Noble, of Corona, CA. is now recalling more than a million Roman shades and 115,000 roller shades after it received a report of a 5-year-old boy in Tacoma, Washington who became entangled in an unsecured continuous loop cord. Fortunately, no medical treatment was necessary.
Recalled are 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.
Manufactured in China, Mexico and United States, the shades were sold exclusively at Smith+Noble online and through catalog sales nationwide from 1998 through April 2010 for between $100 and $1,600, depending on custom size and options.
Consumers should immediately stop using the Roman shades and contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) for a free repair kit at (800) 506-4636 anytime or visit www.windowcoverings.org. Consumers should check the roller shades to make sure the tension device provided is attached to the continuous loop cord and installed into the wall. If not attached, consumers should attach the tension device securely to the wall. If they no longer have the tension device, consumers should immediately stop using the roller shades and contact WCSC to receive a free replacement tension device.
