Jack, 3, nearly killed by blinds cord
Donegal mother Karen Hagney warned that new voluntary safety standards for blinds may not be enough to prevent a similar incident.
She told The Consumer Show on RTÉ last night that medics in Letterkenny General Hospital were amazed that Jack survived after he was found not breathing and hanging off the window blind in their home in February.
Jack’s 4-year old sister Lily discovered him in time to warn their parents.
Ms Hagney said: “Lily came running into the kitchen to say that Jack was asleep on the blind, that he was a funny colour, and he had a bubble coming out of his mouth.
“Michael ran down to me, he was carrying Jack at that stage. When I saw them I thought straight away that Jack was dead. It was just horrendous”
Michael managed to revive Jack by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and he was rushed to Letterkenny General Hospital, where doctors were able to save him.
“They were just amazed that he was still alive after what had happened,” said Ms Hagney.
“We know how close he came and we do go through ‘what ifs’, but we do try to stop ourselves thinking that way,” Ms Hagney said. “We do realise how lucky we are and every day we think about what happened.”
Gerry Lane, a consultant in emergency medicine at Letterkenny General Hospital, said that children are particularly vulnerable to strangulation because, unlike adults, their necks are not fully formed.
“As the child gets caught up in the blind cord, within seconds it can slow down their heart rate, reduce the blood flow to their brain,” said Dr Lane. “Soon after that their brain is dead. Soon after that, their heart is dead.”
Campaigners have welcomed new voluntary EU safety standards for blinds, but there is concern about the estimated 1m blinds already installed in homes.
Tadhg Enright, the show’s presenter, said safety campaigners are unhappy that the new standards for blinds are voluntary rather than mandatory on manufacturers.
“Safety campaigners have warned that four Irish children have died in similar circumstances over the past five years,” he said.
Ms Hagneysaid she is unsure if the new standards will be enough to ensure another child does not have a similar experience. “Obviously the new guidelines have recently come out, but whether it’s enough or not — Jack had his accident [and] other children have had fatal accidents,”she said.
Safety campaigner Aaron O’Connell — a former blind fitter from Cork — helped draft the new set of EU safety standards for window blinds.
They recommend several measures to reduce risks posed by loose-cord window blinds and encourage homeowners to take immediate action to improve the safety of blinds.
However, Mr O’Connell is unhappy the standards are voluntary rather than mandatory on blinds manufacturers and retailers, and he believes lives would be saved if more was done to ensure compliance.
“The issue would be how the standards are policed,” said Mr O’Connell. They are voluntary standards and that’s my problem.
“In Germany, for example, installers have to do a college course to be able to install window blinds, but we don’t have form of apprenticeship or courses.
“The important thing is that you make things as safe as possible. One child’s life is one too many.”
For safety tips, to go windowblindsafety.ie
Safety tips for blinds from National Standards Authority of Ireland
- Cords ending in a loop are particularly risky. Cut the cord to get rid of the loop and install tassels.
- Cords should end at least 1.6m above the ground so children cannot reach them. Replace cords with curtain or blinds wands.
- Where cords cannot be cut, a tie-down or tension device should be used to pull the cord tight and secure it to the floor or wall.
- Never place a child’s cot, bed, playpen, or high chair near a window or patio door where a child could reach a curtain or blind cord.
- Keep sofas, chairs, tables, shelves, bookcases away from windows.
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