1. Scope and Foreword

1.1

The members of the Window Covering Manufacturers Association, Inc. (WCMA), recognizing that unfortunate accidents, including strangulation, have occurred among young children using certain products having flexible loops made or imported by members of the industry, have prepared this Standard in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

WCMA members have been engaged in an extensive awareness program and have also furnished millions of devices to be used in a retrofit manner to reduce the chance of user injury.

This Standard is not intended to inhibit, but rather to encourage the development of devices and methods that will further improve the safety of products manufactured by industry members. Manufacturers and other users of this Standard are reques ted to submit suggestions for improvements to WCMA.

Members of WCMA, in recognition of continuing improvements to be made, will sponsor appropriate revisions to this Standard on a regular basis.

1.2

This Standard applies to all interior drapery hardware and window covering products that incorporate bead chains, cords, or any type of flexibe looped device in their operation. The items covered include the products listed in 1.3 when used in all reasonably foreseeable environments where young children are present.

1.3

Products covered include Cellular Shades, Horizontal Blinds, Pleated Shades, Roll-Up Blinds, Roller Shades, Roman Shades, Traverse Rods, and Vertical Blinds.

2. Objective

2.1

The objective of this Standard is to proivde requirements for covered products in 1.3 that reduce the possibility of injury, including strangulation, to young children from the bead chain, cord, or any type of flexible loop device used to operate the product.