As part of our professional installation service, we adhere to all child safety standards in alignment with the Window Shading Association of Australia. We prioritise window covering safety in homes, public buildings, and any environment where babies and young children may be present.
Child safety.
At dollar curtains + blinds we pride
ourselves on always being at the
forefront of child safety.
All of our products comply with the Australian Child Safety Standards and we include
warning labels on products which could present a risk.
Blind + Curtain cord hazards.
Loose Blind and Curtain cord/chains – particularly those with loops – are dangerous.
A child can place the loop over their head or get tangled in loose cords when:
- sleeping in a cot or bed where cords are hanging
- playing near cords
- standing on a chair, sofa or bed to look out of a window
Children do not understand that a cord/chain wrapped around their neck can tighten and strangle them in a just a few minutes if they sit down, roll around or climb to the floor.
Products which reduce the risk.
Our range of fully Automated motor systems can be fitted to many of our products, allowing a child safe alternative.
- Automated Curtains or hand operated Curtains with wand control which opens or closes the Curtains
- Automated Roller Blinds
- Automated Roman Blinds
- Automated, Cordless and Glideshift Cellular Blinds
- Curtains with wand operation
- Veri Shades with wand control
- Vertical Blinds with traversing wand operation. The wand has an in-built cord to tilt the blade
- Hand operated Panel Blinds. The wand control tilts or opens the panels
- Plantation Shutters
- Aluminium Shutters
- Zipscreen Awnings
- Window Awnings
- Alfresco Awnings
For more information please read the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Blind and Curtain Cords Safety Alert.
Steps to protect children.
To ensure that Blind and Curtain cords/chains are out of reach of children, particularly children under six, follow these four simple steps.
- 1. Check your Blind + Curtain cords.
- Do this anywhere you are staying, including on holiday.
- Check for loose or looped cords your child can reach from the floor or by climbing on furniture.
- Immediately tie cords out of reach and remove any furniture children might climb on to reach them.
- 2. Secure loose cords out of reach.
- Buy cleats or tensioning devices from your nearest dollar curtains + blinds store.
- Use at least two screws to fix each cleat or tensioning device in a place that is out of reach of children.
- Never secure these devices with materials that fail when a load is placed on them, such as double-sided tape or glue.
Some Blinds will not operate without the loop, so seek specialist advice before you choose to cut the dangerous loop out of some cords/chains and attach a tassel to the end of each strand.
If you cannot fix your unsafe cords and chains out of reach, engage a reliable tradesperson to do it for you. If you are renting your home, seek help from your landlord or agent.
- 3. Choose safe Blinds + Curtains.
Only buy new Blinds and Curtains which:
- have warning labels to remind you of the dangers to children.
- provide a way to secure cords/chains so there are no loops or strands that children can reach, or
- operate the product without exposed cords/chains.
- 4. Keep children away from all cords/chains.
- Move anything a young child can sit in, stand in or climb on (like cots, highchairs, beds, sofas, tables, chairs and bookshelves) away from cords/ chains – even those tied around a cleat, as your child may be able to untie them.
- Do not let your child play near cords/chains they can easily reach.
- Never leave your child alone in a room with cords/chains they can reach.
