According to research by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, between 1996 and 2012, nearly one young child per month on average died from strangulation by window cords. These statistics make it evident that window blinds and coverings with exposed cords can be a hazard for young children.
“Product safety is the highest priority for IKEA, which is why we have been working to develop alternative solutions to exposed cords in window coverings. In 2012, IKEA made the commitment to only offer window blinds and coverings with no or non-accessible cords by January of 2016, and we’re pleased to be able to announce that we’ve met this commitment,” commented Heather Spatz, IKEA US Country Sales Manager. “IKEA is committed to working together with our customers to raise awareness of this important issue and to help families get the knowledge they need to ensure a safer everyday life at home.”
As of January 1, 2016, all IKEA stores globally will also offer only cordless blinds or window coverings.
In an effort to prevent any blind or window covering cord mishaps, IKEA reminds customers to check their window coverings to ensure that they do not pose a strangulation risk to young children. For more information about window covering safety and other important home safety information, please visit our website. Please also visit the CPSC Window Covering Information Center at http://cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education-Centers/Window-Covering/
For further information, please contact:
Elizabeth Gray, APCO Worldwide, (646) 556-9316, egray@apcoworldwide.com
About IKEA Group
The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 328 IKEA Group stores in 28 countries. Additionally, there are 40 IKEA stores run by franchises. There are 40 IKEA stores in the US. In FY 15, IKEA Group had 771 million visitors to the stores and 1.9 billion visitors to IKEA.com. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.com, facebook.com/IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA, http://pinterest.com/IKEAUSA/, www.youtube.com/IKEAUSA, www.theshare-space.com, www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog