Risk of Strangulation Prompts Recall of Roman Shades by Draper Inc.
The hazard
These shades have an exposed operating cord and exposed inner cords on the back of the shade. Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the shade or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. In addition, these shades have a continuous looped bead chain that when not attached to the wall or floor, hangs loosely by the shade, posing a strangulation hazard to children.
Incidents reported: None reported.
What to do now
Consumers should immediately stop using the Roman shades and call Draper for a free retrofit kit that removes both the operating cords and the exposed inner cords from the shades.
Contact: For additional information, contact Draper toll-free at (877) 315- 7037 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET daily, or visit the firm's Web site at www.draperinc.com and click on the "Roman Shade Recall" button.
About this recall
This recall involves two models of Roman FlexShades - Roman-CL (clutch/manually operated by a bead-chain) and Roman-MO (motorized). They come in a variety of colors and fabric types and are custom sized/made to order. The shade has a wooden head rail and a 9" valance and four (or more) horizontal plastic stacking bars that are placed about 15 inches apart along the length of the fabric; each bar contains two plastic rings.
Product photos
Photos: U.S. CPSC