Corded Internal Window Coverings: Ensure Safety and Compliance
Your Legal Obligation as a Landlord in Australia
Compliance Made Easy with Be Legal
Due to the complexity of this legislation, rental property owners are encouraged to engage the services of a professional property compliance company.
- A trained Be Legal technician will visit your property to ensure compliance with national legislation.
- A compliance report is issued, providing physical proof that all windows at the property have been checked.
- This report may be crucial when processing insurance claims or demonstrating a duty of care.
Corded Blinds Installation
In response to the threat posed by cords and hanging window furnishings, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) introduced a national mandatory installation standard in 2015 to minimize the risk of harm.
Our technician will install tensioning devices such as cord guides or cleats and warning labels on all blinds.
Information from the Queensland Government: Blind and Curtain Cords – Safety Standards and Tips
- Low-hanging blind and curtain cords pose a strangulation risk to young children.
- Safety standards prescribe requirements for product and packaging labeling.
- Ensure children cannot reach blind or curtain cords, especially when they stand on furniture.
- Avoid low-hanging cords; the bottom of any cord should be at least 160cm above the floor.
- Install safety devices like cord tensioning devices and breakaway tassels for older blinds.
- Seek advice on safety standards and follow installation instructions.
- Professional installations must meet safety standards and packaging instructions.
- Corded internal window coverings must be installed to prevent dangerous loops.
Labelling and Responsibility
A person installing a corded internal window covering must attach a label containing the name and contact details of the responsible person or company. Warning labels or swing tags supplied with the corded internal window covering must not be removed.
National Legislation
Landlords in Australia are legally obligated to ensure the safety and security of their rental properties. Failure to fulfill this duty of care is considered a criminal offense.
ACCC Mandatory Standards
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has identified a significant hazard associated with loop cord systems on window coverings, which poses a potential risk of strangulation to young children.
To address this concern, the ACCC issued Mandatory Standards regulating corded internal window coverings, known as Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard – Corded Internal Window Coverings) Regulations 2010. These regulations are applicable nationwide and establish Mandatory Safety Standards for the design, construction, and labeling of corded window furnishings.
Key Requirements
- Starting from July 1, 2011, all suppliers, including landlords, must comply with the Mandatory Safety Standards for corded window coverings such as vertical blinds, venetian blinds, Holland blinds, Roman blinds, and other cord-containing curtains or fittings.
- Corded window furnishings in your property manufactured before December 2010 are likely non-compliant with these standards.
- In March 2014, the regulations were updated to specify the safe installation of corded internal window coverings in domestic dwellings.
Safety Measures for Corded Window Coverings
- Corded internal window coverings must be installed to prevent the formation of a dangerous loop or length of cord.
- Specifically, a loose cord cannot form a loop of 220mm or longer and must be at least 1,600 mm above floor level.
- All blinds must contain warning labels, which must not be removed.
- Any window coverings with cords must be wound tightly onto a cleat, fitted with tensioning devices, or cut to prevent potential strangulation of a child.
