C.6 · Safety
Child-safe window coverings
Loose blind and curtain cords can strangle a young child, and Australia regulates them for exactly that reason. This page explains the mandatory standard in plain words, what a safe installation actually involves, and why homes with young children increasingly skip the cord altogether.
The risk, without drama
A looped cord at toddler height is the hazard: a child's head fits where a hand would not, and cots, beds and furniture near windows put loops within reach. Product Safety Australia's guidance on blind and curtain cords is blunt about the danger and the fixes, and it is worth every parent's five minutes.[1]
What the mandatory standard requires
Corded internal window coverings sold and installed in Australia are covered by a national mandatory standard under consumer law.[2] In practical terms, an installation has to end up like this:
- No loose loops at child height. A cord must not be able to form a loop of 220 mm or more at or below 1,600 mm above the floor.
- Cords secured high. A cleat or cord guide is fitted at 1,600 mm or higher, keeping the cord taut and out of reach.
- A labelled install. The installer attaches a label with their details to the installed covering, so the work is traceable.
When we fit corded product, this is simply how the job is done: cords guided, cleats fitted at height, labels attached. It is the legal baseline for anyone installing window coverings in Australia, which is precisely why it should never be sold to you as a premium feature.
When cordless is simply the better call
The standard makes corded coverings safe to live with. Cordless removes the question entirely, and on the schedules we build for young Maitland households, the growth-corridor estates are full of them, it is what we usually suggest for the rooms that matter:
| Operation | How it works | Where it earns its place |
|---|---|---|
| Corded / chain | The familiar loop, installed to the standard: guided, cleated at height, labelled | Rooms without young children, and budgets that want the simple answer |
| Cordless | Spring-balanced; the blind lifts and lowers by hand, no loop exists | Nurseries, kids' rooms, and any opening a cot or bed sits near |
| Motorised | Battery or hardwired motor, driven by remote; no cord at all | High windows, banks of three or more, and homes taking the no-cords rule house-wide |
Curtains sit naturally on the safe side of this ledger: an S-fold drape on a hand-drawn track has no cord to manage in the first place, one of several quiet reasons the 04 category keeps earning bedroom rows on our schedules.
Already-installed coverings, honestly handled
Plenty of Hunter homes carry older corded blinds installed long before anyone fitted cleats. If that is your house, the fixes are cheap and unheroic: cords shortened, cleats fitted at height, tie-downs added, and the one blind whose cords have frayed re-corded properly. We treat that work as ordinary lines on a schedule, done in the same visit as anything new. Moving a cot away from any window with a reachable cord costs nothing and is worth doing today.
References
- Product Safety Australia: Blinds, curtains and window fittings guide. The consumer-facing guidance on cord hazards and making existing installations safe.
- Product Safety Australia: Blinds, curtains and window fittings mandatory standard. The mandatory standard for corded internal window coverings, including loop-length, cord-guide and labelling requirements.
- NSW Government: Blind and curtain safety. The state guidance for NSW households on cord safety at home.
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