Child Safety - Make It Safe Campaign

The Make It Safe campaign has seen:

• The BBSA taking a leading role in the development of the European-wide standards for window blinds specifically concerning child safety

• The creation and promotion of a website, retail promotional materials and internationally recognised videos promoting safer window treatments

• The provision of expert advice to regulators and those responsible for standard development, as well as assisting media and established safety organisations to appropriately promote safer window blinds

• The insistence of early adoption of safety regulations by all of its membership

The Make It Safe campaign is endorsed by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Child Accident Prevent Trust (CAPT) and referenced by many other organisations.

As an accredited member of the BBSA we have been closely involved in the Make It Safe campaign and the changes required in the way internal blinds are made, sold and professionally installed.

Under the General Product Safety Regulations the new standards place a legal responsibility on all suppliers and professional installers to:

• Provide safety devices to reduce the risk of any cords or chains which could create a hazardous loop

• Test all safety critical items of internal blinds

• Test blinds using safety devices

• Observe maximum cord and chain lengths

• Provide specific warnings and instructions

• Provide information on packaging and at point of sale

• Fit safety devices when professionally installing blinds

New Blinds

There are extensive ranges of products that are safe by design, meaning that they do not use operating cords or chains or have concealed or tensioned cords. We strongly recommend that these products are always considered first when you are buying new blinds for homes or public buildings.

If you require blinds that have operating cords or chains please note the new regulations will mean cord and chain lengths are determined by the revised standards, and where a safety device is needed we will have to install the device, by law.

Making existing blinds safer

There are a range of safety devices which have been tested to the new mandatory standards and can help to make existing blinds safer. There are options for virtually every style of blind so you do not have to wait until you change your blind to make it safer.

General safety advice

• If fitting blinds yourself, make sure that you follow the installation instructions carefully and make sure any safety devices supplied are correctly installed

• Do not place your child’s cot, bed, highchair or playpen near to a window blind

• Make sure all cords and chains are always secured out of reach of babies and young children

• Do not tie cords or chains together. Make sure cords or chains do not twist and create a loop

• Do not put other furniture near to a window blind as children love to climb

For additional advice please click here to visit the BBSA Make it Safe Website.