The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighCPSC·10066·Announced 2009-12-15

JCPenney Recalls Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds Due to Strangulation Risk

JCPenney is recalling over 2.2 million Roman shades and 340 roll-up blinds because exposed cords and loops pose a strangulation hazard to children.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (strangulation) where injury has not yet been reported as permanent or severe, fitting the High severity criteria for theoretical or non-permanent harm risks.

Plain-English summary

JCPenney Purchasing Corp. is recalling all styles and sizes of Roman shades and roll-up blinds sold by JCPenney. The recall involves more than 2.2 million Roman shades and about 340 roll-up blinds. These products were sold at JCPenney stores, JCPenney Custom Decorating, via catalog, and on www.jcp.com from at least 1999 to October 2009 for between $10 and $500.

The recall is prompted by the risk of strangulation. For Roman shades, hazards exist when a child places their neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind, or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around their neck. For roll-up blinds, hazards occur if the lifting loop slides off the side and a child's neck becomes entangled, or if a child places their neck between the lifting loop and the blind material. The firm is aware of two incidents in January 2009 and August 2009 involving the same 2-year-old girl in Montgomery, Illinois, who became entangled in the cord on the backside of Roman shades. In both cases, the child's mother removed the loop, which left a red mark from ear to ear, but the child did not suffer permanent injuries. No incidents or injuries have been reported for the roll-up shades.

Consumers should stop using the recalled Roman shades and roll-up blinds immediately. They should contact the Window Covering Safety Council for a free repair kit at (800) 506-4636 or visit www.windowcoverings.org. For additional information, consumers can contact JCPenney toll-free at (888) 333-6063 or visit www.jcp.com.

The recalled product

Product
Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds
Manufacturer
JCPenney Purchasing Corp., of Plano, Texas
Category
Consumer Product — Window Coverings
Hazard
Affected units
340

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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