Consumer Groups Walk Out of Failed Window Covering Standards Talks

Saying their suggestions have been ignored and resisted, representatives of leading consumer groups have withdrawn from efforts to set new industry standards for blinds, draperies and other window coverings.

The process began more than a year ago in June 2010, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Health Canada and the European Union urged the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA)  to eliminate the strangulation hazard posed by corded window coverings.

The WCMA members "remain committed to working with CPSC and others who share in our goal to update the safety standards. Already, great progress has been made," said Ralph Vasami, the group's executive director. 

Since 1983, 497 children have been killed or seriously injured by accessible cords on window coverings. The rate of injuries and deaths has not been significantly reduced since 1983. 

Consumer groups were permitted to participate in a limited way as part of a standards development steering committee.

Recommendations ignored

"Over this year, however, our recommendations have been
ignored and resisted," the consumer representatives said in a statement issued yesterday. "Furthermore, this revision process has not been transparent.

"Research commissioned by the WCMA for the purpose of drafting this standard and other information has not been shared with us. It is now clear that this flawed process will yield a very flawed result, leaving children at risk," the statement continued.

The consumer representatives are Linda Kaiser, Parents for Window Blind Safety; Rachel Weintraub, Consumer Federation of America; Don Mays, Consumers Union; and Carol Pollack-Nelson, Independent Safety Consultant.

The consumer advocates said the the current draft of the safety standard, expected to be adopted in October, "has failed to eliminate strangulation risks posed by accessible cords."

Shades and blinds often have cords that are accessible to children, posing a serious strangulation hazard.

Innovative technological solutions have not been incorporated into the standard by WCMA even though they exist," the representatives said.

"Our organizations regretfully have withdrawn from this standards development process because we could no longer give legitimacy to the flawed process and unacceptably weak resulting standard," the statement concluded.

“Our safety standards are already the most stringent in the world and the proposed updates go even further in minimizing potential risk," the WCMA's Vasami said. "Safety standard updates include substantially more robust performance requirements and testing standards; the development of new product warning labels and pictograms; and other more technical changes intended to greatly improve safety."