Oktober 2026

On September 24, 2026, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Substantial Product Hazard (SPH) List, 16 CFR Part 1120, for window covering cords to address strangulation risks. Further details are outlined below.

1. Status

• Proposed on September 24, 2026 (91 FR 60546; Docket No. CPSC-2026-0463) - a notice of proposed rulemaking, not yet in force.

• Comments due November 23, 2026; the Commission proposes that the rule take effect 30 days after publication of a final rule in the Federal Register. The proposal contains no transitional provision.

2. Scope

• Stock and custom window coverings: blinds, shades, and curtains and draperies, including cellular, pleated, roller, roll-up style and Roman shades, and horizontal and vertical blinds.

• Stock and custom products are covered by different paragraphs (16 CFR 1120.3(e) and (f)).

3. Key Proposed Requirements

• Accessible free-hanging operating cords must not exceed 8 inches in any use position.

• Custom horizontal blinds: exposed continuous loop operating systems are not allowed, with or without a tension device.

• Other custom blinds and shades with continuous loops: an installed tension device, a loop cord and bead chain restraining device, or a rigid cord shroud is required (sections 4.4.2.5.1 to 4.4.2.5.3).

• Single retractable cord lift systems: stroke length must not exceed 36 inches.

• Roll-up style shades must be cordless; stock roll-up style shades with cord loop lifts would be added to the list.

• Warning label and warning tag requirements apply to continuous loops containing a tension device and to single retractable lift systems.

• The referenced standard changes from ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2018 to ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 (incorporation by reference date updated from January 8, 2018 to December 13, 2022).

4. Reason for the Proposal

• CPSC staff identified 73 incidents involving window covering cords reported from January 2018 to December 2025, all involving children 8 years old and younger.

• All 21 pull cord strangulation incidents involved horizontal blinds; 18 resulted in death.

• CPSC staff found that warning labels have limited effectiveness for these products and that the risk is most effectively addressed through performance requirements.

5. If the Rule Is Finalized

• Non-compliant products would be deemed a substantial product hazard, triggering reporting under section 15(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), possible corrective action under sections 15(c) and (d), and refusal of admission for imports under section 17(a).

• A rule under section 15(j) is not a consumer product safety rule and does not create a consumer product safety standard: products listed in 16 CFR part 1120 that present an SPH are subject to the reporting requirements of section 15(b) of the CPSA. Conformity is assessed against ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 as incorporated by reference.

6. Recommended Actions

• Review window covering ranges against ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022: cord type and length, continuous loops and tension devices, retractable lift stroke length, and warning labels and tags.

• Confirm the stock or custom classification of each product, as the requirements differ.

• Monitor the rulemaking; requirements apply only if and when a final rule is published.

In Canada, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database on the Health Canada website, which is updated daily. The Canada recalls from 01 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 are summarized below:

For a complete list, click here.

In the US, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Recent Recalls on the CPSC website, which is updated daily. The US recalls from 01 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hazard, Explosion Hazard, Laceration Hazard, Lead Poisoning Hazard, Microbiological Hazard, Risk of Difficulty Breathing and Suffocation Hazard with a frequency of less than 2.

*Other Categories include Food Contact Material, Household Items and Sporting Goods / Equipment with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list, click here.

Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety Program administers the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA). The CCPSA prohibits the manufacture, import, advertising, or sale of consumer products that present a danger to human health or safety. It also authorizes enforcement measures, including recalls, seizures, penalties, and prosecution.

On September 17, 2026, Health Canada issued a notice addressing the risk of children ingesting button or coin batteries. The notice identifies risk-mitigation measures and relevant standards concerning:

Consumer products powered by button or coin batteries

• Non-toy consumer products: Shall comply with ANSI/UL 4200A-2023 (mandatory safety standard that regulates any consumer product containing button or coin cell batteries to prevent children from accessing and swallowing) or equivalent standards.

• Toy products: Shall comply with ASTM F963-23 or equivalent standards. Products failing these requirements may be considered dangerous.

Packaging for button or coin batteries (re-sealable and non-re-sealable) shall comply with child resistant packaging requirements as listed:

• Re-sealable packaging: CAN/CSA Z76.1-99 (R2003), ISO 8317:2015 or equivalent standards

• Non-re-sealable packaging: CSA C22.2 No.60086-4:19 (R2024), IEC 60086-5:2021, ISO 28862:2018 or equivalent standards.

The appropriate standard depends on the battery type and packaging design.

Product and battery labeling requirements

Consumer products containing button/coin batteries, and button batteries sold separately, must meet labeling, marking and instruction requirements specified in ANSI/UL 4200A-2023, CSA C22.2 No.62368-1:25, ASTM F963-23, CSA C22.2 No.60086-4:19 (R2024), IEC 60086-5:2021, ANSI C18.3M Part2-2024, CSA C22.2 No.62133-1:20, CSA C22.2 No.62133-2:20 or equivalent standards. Non-compliance may result in classification as a dangerous product.

Risk-Reduction Measures

The above listed standards reduce ingestion risks through requirements covering:

• Battery compartment design

• Product performance testing

• Labeling, marking and user instructions

• Child-resistant packaging for separately sold button batteries

Important note: Compliance with these performance standards alone does not constitute full compliance with all requirements under the CCPSA. Companies shall conduct a full assessment of all potential hazards of their products.

Summary

Manufacturers can mitigate safety risks by complying with requirements for battery compartment construction, product performance, labeling, and child-resistant packaging. Canada applies a post-market regulatory framework. Non-compliant businesses may face enforcement actions including seizure, product recalls, fines and even criminal prosecution.

Meeting the referenced standards does not automatically satisfy all CCPSA obligations. A comprehensive risk assessment is required to avoid regulatory penalties from Canadian authorities.

Reference Link:

• Canada Consumer Product Safety Act

• Notice of danger to human health or safety and risk mitigation for products containing button or coin batteries and the packaging of button and coin batteries

In Europe, when hazards are identified in non-food consumer products, the products will be recalled and published in the Safety Gate system, which is updated weekly. The European recalls from 01 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Burn Hazard, Health Risk Hazard, Suffocation Hazard, Cut Hazard, Entrapment Hazard and Damage to Hearing with a frequency of less than 6.

*Other Categories include Jewelry, Protective Equipment, Accessories, Furniture, Stationery, Food Contact Material and Tools and Hardware with a frequency of less than 9.

*Other Countries include Estonia, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Cyprus, Croatia and Luxembourg with a frequency of less than 5.

For a complete list, click here.

Following the recent addition of the first substances to the UK REACH SVHC Candidate List since the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) departure from the European Union (EU), the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a six-week public consultation on proposals to add nine additional Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs), or groups of substances, to the UK REACH SVHC Candidate List. The public consultation closed on 20 August 2026.

After the completion of the public consultation, these nine chemical(s)/groups were officially included in the UK REACH SVHC Candidate List on 19 October 2026.

The nine new entries of the UK REACH SVHC Candidate List are as follows:

Because these are already EU REACH SVHCs, global supply chains should ideally already be tracking them. The primary change is the legal notification requirement, specifically within the UK (Great Britain) market.

In China, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the SAMR Defective Product Administrative Centre, which is updated daily. The China recalls from 01 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Microbiological Hazard, Damage to Skin, Risk of Allergy, Entanglement Hazard, Damage to Sight, Cut Hazard, Impact Hazard, Skin Irritation Risk, Eye Irritation Risk and Explosion Hazard with a frequency of less than 2.

*Other Provinces include Shandong, Beijing, Jilin, Guizhou and Shanxi with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list, click here.

In Australia, when hazards are identified in consumer products, they will be recalled and published in the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission website, which is updated daily. The Australia recalls from 01 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 are summarized below:

*Other Hazards include Laceration Hazard, Strangulation Hazard, Eye Irritation Risk, Microbiological Hazard, Damage to Skin and Swallowing Risk with a frequency of less than 2.

For a complete list, click here.

On 23 September 2026, New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) announced that the government has approved amendments to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO Act) to restrict three new Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to align national legislation with amendments adopted under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

The Order introduces new controls which identify restrictions while providing limited exemptions for the following substances:

Manufacturers, importers and suppliers should assess products and supply chains for the presence of these substances and evaluate applicable compliance obligations and exemptions.