What is the law relating to blind cords and child safety in publicly accessible areas?

When installing blinds into residential or public buildings, including schools and hospitals, the law now specifically addresses the importance of child safety.

BS EN 13120 legislates that any new blinds with manual cord control installed into a building where a child between the ages of 0-42 months is likely to have access must be fitted with a cord retainer at least 1.5m from the floor.

Whilst the law does not apply to blinds installed prior to 2014, in the interests of safety it is recommended that all existing blinds are made safe.

The implications of this law obviously affect residential properties first and foremost, however, any blinds installed into a building where the public have access, (i.e. school, hospital etc) are likely to accommodate children within this age bracket.

If you have an environment where children under the age of 42 months are present or likely to have access you must install blinds which are compliant with the child safety requirements of BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014.

The EU Decision makes it clear that this applies to all public buildings and the publicly accessible areas of commercial buildings.

Find out which type of blind is best suited for your project, or view our case studies showing the installation of blinds in schools, hospitals and residential spaces.