Safety first
Child Safety at the Window
Loose blind and curtain cords are a known strangulation hazard for young children. This page explains the risk, what Australian law requires, and the options that remove the hazard altogether.
Product origin and warranty terms vary by selected range; applicable details are confirmed in your written quote.
Why it matters
A hazard that is easy to overlook
A loose cord or chain hanging near a window can form a loop. Young children can become entangled in that loop, and because it happens quietly it can happen in the time it takes to leave the room.
The risk is highest for toddlers and pre-schoolers, and highest where a cot, bed, sofa, change table or anything else climbable sits within reach of a window.
Any loose loop within a child’s reach is the core hazard.
Climbable furniture near a window puts cords within reach.
Bedrooms, living areas and play spaces all need checking.
No cord means the hazard is designed out rather than managed.
The law in Australia
What the mandatory standard requires
Corded internal window coverings sold and installed in Australia are regulated by the Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014, administered by the ACCC. It applies to corded internal window coverings supplied from 30 December 2010.
What the standard requires
- A corded internal window covering must be installed so that a loose cord cannot form a loop 220 mm or longer at less than 1600 mm above floor level.
- Loose cords must be secured using a cleat or cord guide fixed to the wall or another structure.
- No part of a cord guide may be installed lower than 1600 mm above floor level, unless it stays firmly attached when subjected to a tension force of 70 N.
- Products must carry a warning label or swing tag, and these must not be removed by the supplier or installer.
The standard sets a legal minimum for corded products. It does not make a corded blind as safe as a cordless one — where young children are in the home, removing the cord entirely is the stronger option.
Where it does not apply
The mandatory standard does not cover the installation of corded internal window coverings in caravans, mobile homes or boats.
Full details are published by the ACCC at Product Safety Australia.
Safer options
Ways to remove the hazard
Ranked from strongest to weakest. The first two design the cord out; the third manages it.
Motorised
A motor replaces the cord entirely, operated by remote, wall control or a smart-home system. It is the most complete solution and also suits high or hard-to-reach windows.
Cordless and Wand-Operated
Spring-assisted cordless blinds and rigid wand controls on verticals, panel glides and Veri Shades give full operation with no loose loop at any height.
Secured Cords and Chains
Where a cord or chain is used, it must be tensioned or cleated to the wall so no loop can form within reach, in line with the mandatory standard.
In your home
A quick check you can do today
Walk each room
Look for any cord or chain hanging loose near a window, including rooms children only visit occasionally.
Move the furniture
Shift cots, beds, change tables, sofas and bookshelves away from windows with cords. Children climb.
Check the tensioners
Every cleat or tensioner should be firmly screwed to the wall, not loose, taped or hanging.
Keep the labels
Warning labels and swing tags are required by law and must stay on the product.
Tie nothing up loosely
Wrapping a cord around a hook or knotting it is not a fix, as it can slip free and re-form a loop.
Prioritise sleep spaces
Bedrooms and nurseries matter most, because that is where a child may be unsupervised the longest.
Our approach
How we handle it on every job
We raise child safety during the in-home consultation rather than waiting to be asked, because the people who most need the conversation are often the ones who have not thought about it yet.
If there are young children in the home, or likely to be, we will recommend cordless or motorised options for the rooms that matter and explain the trade-offs honestly.
We ask about children in the home and how each room is used.
Corded products are installed to the mandatory standard, with cleats or tensioners fixed to the wall.
Warning labels and swing tags stay on the product as required.
We show you how each product operates and what to keep secured.
Common questions
Child safety questions
Are your products child-safe?
We offer child-safe options across our range, including cordless, motorised and wand-operated systems, and we install corded products to the Australian mandatory standard. See our Child Safety page for the detail.
What is the law on blind cords in Australia?
Corded internal window coverings are covered by the Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014. A corded covering must be installed so a loose cord cannot form a loop 220 mm or longer at less than 1600 mm above floor level, and warning labels supplied with the product must not be removed.
What is the safest option for a child's bedroom?
A cordless or motorised blind, because it removes the loose cord entirely rather than managing it. Where a cord or chain is unavoidable, it must be secured to the wall with a cleat or tensioner.
We already have corded blinds. What should we do?
Check that every cord and chain is secured to the wall and out of reach, and move cots, beds and climbable furniture away from windows. If anything is loose or the tensioner is missing, contact us or a qualified installer.
Can existing blinds be made safer without replacing them?
Often yes. Fitting a cleat or tensioner and securing loose cords addresses the immediate hazard. Where the product itself is the problem, a cordless or motorised replacement is the more reliable fix.
Talk to us about safer options
Book your free measure and quote
Book a free Sydney measure and quote and we will recommend suitable child-safe options for your rooms.
Request a Consultation