Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

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August 26, 2009
Release # 09-329

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 423-8653 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

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.