A 3-year-old Firestone boy died last week in an accidental hanging after he became tangled in the cords of a window blind, an accident that happens once a month nationally.
Investigators believe the toddler was trying to look out a window when he got caught in the cords and asphyxiated, Weld County coroner investigator Corinna Pina-Belmarez told The Greeley Tribune.
Daniel David Sutton was hanging from the cord when his mother and sister went to wake him from a nap Thursday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Daniel’s family declined to comment Saturday.
“Tragically, this type of accident occurs once every month,” said Scott Wolfson, spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
A toddler died in a similar accident in Washington, D.C., in December.
The accident is the first of its kind in Weld County, Pina-Belmarez told The Tribune. Firestone police are investigating the death as an accident.
For more than a decade, exposed cord loops and the inner cords of window blinds have been hazards for small children and a primary concern for the safety commission.
The safety commission has continued to put pressure on the industry, demanding improved production standards for cord safety, Wolfson said.
“When you see a pattern of recall after recall from our agency — for the same hazard — then you have to address the larger issue,” Wolfson said.
In 1990, the safety commission recalled 80 million window blinds. Last month, 50 million units, specifically roll-up and Roman-style blinds, were recalled.
These recalls are two of the largest in the agency’s history, Wolfson said.
Parents with small children should continuously check for recalls issued by the agency as well as recalls from manufacturers and retailers.
At home, parents should cut window blind cords so there is no loop at the bottom and keep furniture away from windows, Wolfson said.
Jordan Steffen:303-954-1638 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
Safety steps
The Window Covering Safety Council, an affiliation of U.S. blind manufacturers, offers free kits to child-proof window blinds. Kits include a stopper that locks the inner cords of blinds, which are as much a hazard to small children as hanging cords. The kits can be ordered at 1-800-506-4636.
Safety tips from Window Covering Safety Council:
Install cordless window blinds.
Lock cords when blinds are lowered even if they are resting on a windowsill.
Move furniture, including cribs, away from windows.
Never tie knots in cords as that creates another loop for children to get caught in.
