FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2009
Release # 09-329 |
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 423-8653
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
|
Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall To Repair Window Blinds By Vertical Land
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Products: Horizontal and Vertical Blinds and Cellular Shades
Units: About 15,400 (horizontal), 16,400 (vertical), 800 (Cellular Shades)
Manufacturer: Vertical Land Inc., of Panama City Beach, Fla.
Hazard: Horizontal Blinds: The blinds do not have inner cord stop devices to prevent the accessible inner cords from being pulled out. If an inner cord is pulled out, a child can become entangled in the loop and strangle.
Vertical Blinds: Strangulations can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop formed by the bead chain or by the cord with a weighted device.
Cellular Shades: Strangulations can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the shade’s free-standing looped cord.
Incidents/Injuries: In May 2006, CPSC received a report of a 4-year-old girl from Pensacola, Fla., who strangled in the loop of a vertical blind cord that was not attached to the wall or floor.
Description: This recall involves all Vertical Land custom-made vertical and cellular window coverings that do not have a cord tensioning device and horizontal blinds that do not have inner cord stop devices. A sticker identification label can be found on the head rail of some of the window coverings which lists the company’s name, address and telephone number.
Sold at: Vertical Land stores in Panama City and Pensacola, Fla. from January 1992 through December 2006 for between $60 and $200 (depending on the size of the blind).
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the window coverings and contact Vertical Land to receive a free retrofit kit.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Vertical Land at (800) 423-8653 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.
Conumers can also view a video clip (transcript) about this recall. This is in "streaming video" format.
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Spanish version
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.