Safety
Child-safe blinds and cords
Blind and curtain cords are a real strangulation hazard for young children, and Australia has a mandatory safety standard because of it. Here's what the rules actually require, and how to think about it in your own home.
There is a national mandatory standard
Corded internal window coverings sold and installed in Australia must meet a mandatory safety standard made under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. It's not optional and it's not a badge anyone earns, it's the baseline every supplier and installer has to work to. In plain terms, the standard covers:
- No dangerous loops down low. A loose cord must not be able to form a loop of 220 mm or more at or below 1,600 mm from the floor, roughly the reach of a small child.
- Cords tied off up high. A cleat or cord guide is fitted at least 1,600 mm above the floor, so the cord stays taut and out of reach.
- A safety label on every install. The installer attaches a label to the fitted covering with their details, part of making the chain of responsibility clear.
Any corded blinds we install are fitted this way, cleat at height, label attached, as a matter of course. It's the law, not a feature.
Cordless and motorised remove the risk entirely
The surest way to take the hazard off the table is to have no operating cord at all.
- Cordless. A spring-balanced blind you push up and pull down by hand. Nothing dangling, nothing to reach. The simplest safe choice for a kids' room.
- Motorised. A quiet motor in the tube, driven by a remote or an app. No cord, and handy on high or hard-to-reach windows too.
For a home with young children, we'll usually suggest cordless or motorised in the bedrooms, nursery and playroom, and talk through the rest room by room. It's a genuine consideration, not an upsell, and often it costs less than people expect.
Ask about cordless options at your measure
Sources
- ACCC Product Safety, blinds, curtains and window fittings safety guide, the consumer guidance behind the standard.
- ACCC Product Safety, blinds, curtains and window fittings mandatory standard, the supplier and installer requirements.
- NSW Government, blind and curtain safety.
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