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.

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.

CONSUMERS CAN ALSO VIEW A VIDEO CLIP (TRANSCRIPT) ABOUT THIS RECALL. THIS IS IN “STREAMING VIDEO” FORMAT.