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Editorial

by Howard K.Shingle

In my neighborhood, quite a controversy is brewing over the town's plans to reconstruct three streets this summer. In contention is whether to include sidewalks in the project. Concern for pedestrian safety and the desire to preserve the natural, rural character of the area have been voiced among feuding home owners. Setting aside for a moment the relative merits of these arguments, it seems quite likely neither concern would have been broached a decade ago. With a wad of taxpayers' money in its hands, the town council would have voted the project through in a heartbeat because everyone would agree it was the right thing to do: it created jobs and updated the look of the town as a whole. But things change. New agendas are established. More considerations are taken into account before decisions are made. Things that once might not have been as important are urgently so today. A decade ago how concerned were home owners about the safety of the household products filling their surroundings? Many products were considered either safe or harmless-window coverings among them. Since then nearly 200 accidental strangulation deaths among children, many younger than five years of age, have been reported involving loose, dangling cord loops on window covering products. These deaths came to the attention of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Medical Association and, most importantly, product manufacturers. Over the past five years a tremendous effort has been made to make home owners aware of the potential hazard and numerous devices have been brought out to address these concerns. At first they were retrofit products home owners could use to eliminate the hazard on existing window treatments-and thousands of them were made available at no cost. But more and more, manufacturers have introduced design changes and innovative new products that incorporate safety considerations from the beginning. These changes either eliminate loose, dangling cord loops altogether, shield them from easy access, or keep them secure from becoming a hazard. This month, D&WC highlights the responsibility the window coverings industry has taken to address safety concerns. An excellent review of the industry's response to the problem and the leading role played by the Window Covering Manufacturers Association can be found in Special Report, and a range of safety products currently available are showcased on Accent On. Things change. Today home owners are placing product safety among their first considerations when choosing new window treatments right along with fashion, style and color decisions. To its great credit, the industry is doing the same.