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Near Strangulations of Child Prompts Recall to Repair Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds by JCPenney

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Recall Date:
December 15, 2009

Recall Details

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2009
Release # 10-066
Repair Kit Hotline: (800) 506-4636

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 Product: Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds

Units: More than 2.2 million Roman shades and about 340 roll-up blinds

Importer: J. C. Penney Purchasing Corp. of Plano, Texas

Hazard:

Roman Shades: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck.

Roll-Up Blinds: Strangulations can occur if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm is aware of two incidents, in January 2009 and in August 2009, in which the same 2-year-old girl from Montgomery, Illinois was looking out the window when she became entangled in the cord found on the backside of Roman shades. In both incidents, the child's mother removed the loop that left a red mark from ear to ear. The child did not suffer permanent injuries. No incidents or injuries have been reported in roll-up shades.

Description: This recall involves all styles and sizes of Roman shades and roll-up blinds sold by JCPenney.

Sold at: JCPenney Stores, JCPenney Custom Decorating, Catalog and www.jcp.com since at least 1999 to October 2009 for between $10 and $500.

Manufactured in: China, United States and other countries

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled Roman shades and roll-up blinds immediately and contact the Window Covering Safety Council for a free repair kit at (800) 506-4636 anytime or visit www.windowcoverings.org

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact JCPenney toll-free at (888) 333-6063 anytime or visit the firm's Web site at www.jcp.com

Note: Examine all shades and blinds in your home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC recommends the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.

Picture of Recalled Roman Shade

Picture of Recalled Roman Shade showing cord

Note: Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

If you are experiencing issues with a recall remedy or believe a company is being non-responsive to your remedy request, please use this form and explain the situation to CPSC.
About the U.S. CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

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