A child was almost strangled earlier this year – and that’s prompted (rather belatedly?) a recall of Green Mountain Vista Insulated Black-Out Roller Shades and Insulated Roman Shades.
Shades of this type have a looped bead chain. This continuous chain hangs loosely by the blind if it is not attached to the floor or wall and poses an enormous strangulation hazard to young children.
In the incident reported to the CPSC, a 2 year old girl put the chain around her neck, then slipped off the radiator on which she had been standing. Fortunately, the fast action of her 5 year old brother saved her life, as he lifted her – gasping for air – from the cord. Her neck was deeply bruised and she vomited, but she has thankfully recovered.
This recall involves all insulated black-out roller shades (colors: white, cream, harvest, light sage) and insulated Roman shades sizes 48, 60 and 72 (colors: white, natural, sage, sienna, blue, goldenrod, mahogany, terracotta). The shades have RN number 107875 printed on the care label of the shade and identify the manufacturer on the “Installation and Care Instructions.”
The shades were sold for between $60 and $200 at Country Curtains, Plow & Hearth, The Linen Source, Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, Ann & Hope, The Sportsman’s Guide, Target.com, The Curtain Shop of Maine, and Solutions Catalog from June 2005 through September 2008.
The CPSC is advising consumers to check their window coverings to see if the tension device is attached. If yours is not, you should contact Green Mountain Vista Inc. for a free repair kit. If you do not know how to attach the tensioning device, then Green Mountain Vista will instruct you how to do so.
You may contact Green Mountain Vista at (800) 639- 1728 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit their website.
As an additional note, the CPSC have asked consumers to check ALL the shades and Roman Blinds in their homes for looped pull cords or exposed inner cords and to think about replacing those blinds if they have children – or if children visit their home.