The Recall Desk
CriticalCPSC·12273·Announced 2012-09-06

Blind Xpress Recalls Custom Window Blinds Due to Cord Strangulation Hazard

Blind Xpress is recalling custom vertical and horizontal window blinds because unsecured cords pose a strangulation risk to children. A 2009 child death prompted this safety action.

What this means for you

Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly reports a fatality (a 2-year-old girl strangled in 2009), which mandates a Critical severity score of 5 according to the rubric.

Plain-English summary

Blind Xpress of Livonia, Michigan, is recalling approximately 139,000 custom-made vertical blinds and 315,000 horizontal blinds. The recall involves vertical blinds that lack a cord-tensioning device attached to the wall or floor, and horizontal blinds that lack inner cord stop devices. These defects allow cords to form loops or be pulled out, creating a strangulation hazard for children.

The recall was prompted by a reported incident in 2009 in which a 2-year-old girl from Commerce Township, Michigan, strangled in the loop of a vertical blind cord. The affected products were sold at various blind specialty stores in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana between January 1995 and December 2011 for prices ranging from $16 to $380.

Consumers should immediately stop using the affected window coverings. To receive a free repair kit, consumers should contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) toll-free at (800) 506-4636 or visit www.windowcoverings.org.

The recalled product

Product
Custom-made Vertical and Horizontal blinds
Affected units
139,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.