Another young child has been strangled by a curtain cord, three years on from a coroner calling for strict regulations to prevent such deaths.
The preschooler, whose name has been suppressed, was found hanging from the cord of a roller blind in his bedroom in January.
In her findings, released Monday morning, Coroner Heather McKenzie re-emphasised the findings of Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale in 2021, which followed the similar death of a 19-month-old.
In those findings, Coroner Borrowdale recommended the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment make it a priority in its policy planning to have the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs declare prescriptive mandatory regulations or standards designed to protect young New Zealanders from the hazards of corded blinds in domestic settings.
The 19-month-old’s death was the sixth time a young child was killed by a corded blind in the past decade.
But three years on and regulations, such as those described by the coroner in 2021, were yet to be implemented.
A spokesperson for MBIE said it had taken note of Coroner Borrowdale’s findings.
“MBIE has taken full account of the coroner’s findings and recommendations and is considering an appropriate response to the issues raised with internal corded window coverings,” the statement said.
The parents of the young child who died in January told Coroner McKenzie they wanted to “avoid the same thing happening to any other parent/family and believe that there should be better safety messages regarding blind cords”.
The family had spent the day at the beach and after getting home about 1.40pm, the child had “a raspberry bun and banana for lunch”, the coroner said.
“Mid-afternoon, [the child] was put down for his afternoon sleep as usual. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and pull-up nappies.”
His parents went to sleep in another room and when they woke up, his father went to get the child out of bed and found him with the cord to the blind wrapped around the front of his neck.
“It appears to me on the available evidence that [the child] was playing in or otherwise near the blind, the cord became wrapped around the front of his neck, and he was unable to extricate himself. I do not know how long he had been there before [his father] discovered him, and note that emergency services were called at 4.02pm,” Coroner McKenzie said.
“In all of these circumstances, I find that [the child’s] death was a tragic accident.”
Coroner McKenzie did not make any further recommendations or comments due to the “existing publicly available safety campaigns and of the detailed research, comments, and recommendations made by Coroner Borrowdale”.
“Developments in blind enhancements now mean that there is a safety solution for virtually all corded blind hazards,” Coroner Borrowdale said in her 2021 findings.
“I cannot accept the suggestion made by MBIE to this inquiry that already installed blinds ‘present a long term risk that can only be mitigated by information that encourages the occupant to take the necessary action’.
“My researches have established that retro-fit safety devices, and schemes to help consumers install those devices, are available overseas. Education is not the only available mitigation.
“It is regrettable that New Zealand has not followed its closest international partners to impose any form of regulation. It is additionally regrettable that MBIE has taken no steps to develop product regulation.
“The fact that there is already a risk to consumers by way of installed corded blinds should not in my view dissuade MBIE from promulgating regulations. It is possible to both mitigate that existing risk, and to regulate future sales and installations so that the risk is not magnified.”
In response to questions from RNZ, an MBIE spokesperson said a number of steps had been taken since Coroner Borrowdale’s findings to address the safety issues with corded window coverings.
“In 2023, MBIE also asked for feedback on a range of options to address the safety risks corded window coverings pose to young children. This included possible approaches to regulation, as well as other non-regulatory options such as providing educational resources. MBIE is using the feedback received to better understand the nature and scale of the problem and how it could be addressed. More information will be available in due course.
“Developing information for consumers and businesses on how to make existing corded window coverings safer, which is available on the Product Safety website.
“Raising awareness on the safety risks associated with corded blinds, including a digital campaign and the development of print and digital resources to equip parent and carers with safety information. This work is in collaboration with Safekids Aotearoa to ensure messages are received across a wide audience group.
“In April 2023, MBIE ran a programme which distributed over 2000 free cord safety devices across Aotearoa New Zealand for consumers to install in their homes.”
Coroner McKenzie offered her condolences to the family of the child who died in January.
“I thank [his parents] for their correspondence. It has given me a greater insight into [the child], who was a very much loved son and brother. He is greatly missed,” the coroner said.
rnz.co.nz
