Blinds and roller blinds must not be dangerous for children
Children are the most precious we have. They love to find new information and discover the world around them. Each of us knows their inquisitive question "And why?" or popular "What is it?". It is very important to protect them from potential danger which may be represented by common household equipment, appliances, furniture. Unfortunately, even blinds and roller blinds can become potential danger, especially for infants and small children.
Since 1 September, 2014, the new CSN EN standard (more precisely 3 new standards) has been valid in the Czech Republic. The main one is CSN EN 13120 which regulates newly ensuring of safety of children from strangulation in dangerous loops which can be formed by control chains and cords of interior blinds and roller blinds. It is necessary to observe this standard at all places accessible to children aged 0-42 months, such as flats, houses, hotels, hospitals, churches, shops, schools and generally all public places.
The CSN EN 13120 standard does not apply to internal blinds and roller blinds where no dangerous loops of a control mechanism are formed. Safe way of controlling of blinds and roller blinds is ensured, for example, using a handle, an operating rod, a motor with a switch or a remote controller. These control elements do not include chains and cords, thus risk of strangulation is absolutely eliminated.
If you are just choosing interior blinds or roller blinds, surely you pay attention to their compliance with your demands for interior shading, light and thermal comfort for work and relaxation, reduction of air-conditioning costs and completing your interior according to your ideas as well. However, do not forget to take account of ensuring of your children's safety.
Complete elimination of danger of strangulation can be best achieved by keeping a cord at height out of reach of children or equipping a control chain with a system for breaking, alternatively by fixed tensioning system.
Products of ISOTRA JSC. company represent high-end technical solution combined with modern design requirements. It is matter of course for us to meet also requirements of the CSN EN 13120 standard for ensuring of children' safety, therefore, we have developed our own protective elements for you.
1. Keeping a cord at height out of reach of children
Length of a pull cord must be limited so that if installation height is not specified, pull cable length will be less than or equal to 2/3 of height of a screen.
If installation height is specified, distance from the floor to lower part of a pulling cable will be at least 0.6 m.
This can be achieved using a winch or two wheels preventing cords from making loops and also keeping them at height out of reach of children:
2. System for breaking
A potential dangerous loop on a chain must be removed during gradual influence of 6 kg load or no later than 5 seconds after action which is ensured by a coupling on a chain (the chain will break by influence of load).
3. Fixed tensioning system
Attached (fixed) tensioning system prevents a chain loop to become loose. Distance between two strands of the loop must not be greater than 50 mm in an outlet point from fixed tensioning mechanism and also pull cords must be limited as follows:
- where installation height is not specified and screen height is less than or equal to 2.5 m, pull cord length must be less than or equal to 1 m,
- where installation height is not specified and height of a blind is higher than 2.5 m, length of cords must be lower or equal to height of a screen with subtraction of 1.5 m,
- where installation height is specified, distance from the floor to lower part of an operating cord will be at least 1.5 m.
Tensioning of an operating chain, so that a loop cannot be created between two chain strands, is carried out using a pulley. The pulley is fastened to a window and the chain cannot be taken out of it.
A manufacturer is obligated to deliver security elements together with a product and point out their assembly in the assembly instructions. Dealers and installation companies are obligated to inform you about delivered security elements as well, moreover, installation companies are obligated to install these elements.
Other responsibilities resulting from the new standard, which you can easily check, include manufacturer's obligation to connect a warning in the Czech language to each indoor blind or roller blind where dangerous loop can be created. Text of this warning is also determined by the CSN EN 13120 standard, it is identical and mandatory for all manufacturers and it has the following form:
WARNING:
- Small children can be strangled in a loop from pull cords, chains, bands and inner cords controlling the product;
- To avoid strangulation and entanglement, remove cords out of reach of small children. Cords can wrap around a child's neck;
- Remove beds, cots and furniture from nearness of a window containing cords;
- Do not plait cords together. Make sure that cords are not twisted and do not create a loop.
The same text must also be found on a product packaging.
You can read more about this topic at www.isotra.cz/en.
