Blind cord safety in Australia: the law on corded blinds, and where plantation shutters fit

Where the law lets a blind cord sit

If a blind or curtain in your home has a cord, one height matters more than any other: 1,600 mm above the floor. That figure turns up in three separate rules. All three sit in section 6 of the installation standard:

1. Loops. Under section 6(1)(a) of the Corded Internal Window Coverings Safety Standard 2014, a corded covering must be installed so a loose cord cannot form a loop 220 mm or longer "at less than 1,600 mm above floor level". NSW Fair Trading's blind and curtain safety guide words it as "at or less than 1,600 mm", so the cautious reading counts the line itself.
2. Cleats. A cleat used to secure a cord must be installed at least 1,600 mm above floor level.
3. Cord guides. A cord guide may sit lower than 1,600 mm only if it stays firmly attached under a 70 N pull for 10 seconds and the cord is secured or tensioned to prevent a 220 mm loop.

So the quick test for any corded blind is simple. Picture a line 1,600 mm up the wall, then look for a loose loop of 220 mm or more below it.

These rules attach to cords. That makes the first question about shutters, or any other covering, whether it has a cord at all. The section on blinds and shutters below takes that up.

Why cords are the focus

The tag the law requires on a blind's cord gives the reason in its own words: "Young children have died by wrapping loose curtain and blind cords or chains around their necks".

NSW Fair Trading's advice for homes with children, particularly under six, starts with furniture. Move cots and beds away from cords. Check cords wherever children are present. Ask the supplier what safety features are available.

Two national standards, and who each one binds

NSW Fair Trading points to two national mandatory standards for blind and curtain cords. One covers supply and the other covers installation.

The 2010 supply regulations cover what comes in the box. A corded covering must be supplied with a warning label on retail packaging and a warning label or swing tag on the cord. It must also come with installation instructions and any components needed for cord safety.

The installation standard covers what goes on your wall. It commenced on 1 January 2015 and applies to installation in domestic dwellings, other than caravans, mobile homes and boats. Installation must follow the instructions on any retail packaging and use any components those instructions specify as necessary for cord safety.

The text quoted here is the standard as made in 2014. The Federal Register of Legislation lists the instrument as "In force".

Western Australia's Consumer Protection notes that the standards apply to anyone contracted to supply or install corded internal window coverings.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, the maximum penalty for breaching a safety standard is $2.5 million for an individual and, for a body corporate since 28 March 2026, the greater of $100 million, three times the benefit obtained if a court can work that out, or otherwise 30% of adjusted turnover during the breach period (checked October 2026).

Blinds or shutters: does it have a cord?

The installation standard defines a cord as "a rope, strap, string, chain, line or wire used to manipulate a corded internal window covering". A corded internal window covering is a covering "such as a curtain or blind", or fittings such as a traverse rod or track, used inside a building "and has a cord".

Read together, the rules turn on one thing: whether the product has a cord. The standard's definitions name curtains, blinds and their fittings, and don't list shutters either way. So the sensible move is to ask rather than assume.

Plantation shutters are usually opened by hand, with the louvres tilted by a rod or by hand, but shutter systems and hardware vary. Put the same question to anyone quoting your windows, Shutters Newcastle included: how does this open, close and tilt, and does any part of it use a cord, chain or strap?

If you're choosing blinds, WA's Consumer Protection lists features to look for: blinds with warning labels, blinds that operate with a twist-wand or a way to secure cord and chain loops, or blinds without exposed cords or chains. That list is general advice. In NSW, the national standards above are the rules that apply.

What to check on the corded blinds you already have

Ten minutes with a tape measure covers most of this:

• Move cots and beds away from cords, and check cords wherever children are present.
• Look for any loose loop 220 mm or longer less than 1,600 mm above floor level.
• Check any cleat sits at least 1,600 mm above floor level.
• Check any cord guide is at 1,600 mm or higher. If it's lower, it should be firmly attached, with the cord secured or tensioned to prevent a 220 mm loop.
• Ask the supplier what safety features are available.
• Leave warning labels and swing tags where they are, because they must not be removed.
• Before anyone reaches for scissors, read the next section.

Can you just cut the cord loop?

Cutting a looped cord is not always the fix: pull-cords on certain vertical blinds or curtains need a continuous loop to work and cannot be cut, so those need a safety device that secures the cords out of children's reach.

Where a loop can be cut, NSW Fair Trading says to check the blind will still work with cut cords and that it won't void the warranty first. Then cut just above the tassel, remove any tassel and equaliser buckle, and attach a new tassel to each cord end and knot it.

What the installer's label and warning tag should say

A person installing a corded internal window covering must attach a label with the name and contact details of the person or company responsible for the installation. If a blind fitted by an installer since the standard commenced has no such label, raise it with whoever fitted it.

The swing tag on the cord carries the warning quoted earlier. It also includes the words "Do not remove this label". It's a small tag, and it's meant to stay on the cord.

Where to report an unsafe blind, and the cord rules in one view

If a blind or curtain looks unsafe, alert the supplier and report it to Product Safety Australia. If a child is injured or needs urgent medical help, contact your GP or call 000.

Replacing blinds in a nursery or kids' room?

Start with the cord question, room by room. If you're weighing plantation shutters against new blinds for a nursery or a child's bedroom, tell Shutters Newcastle which windows you're doing. Ask how each option would open, close and tilt, and whether any part has a cord, chain or strap. You can send those details through our contact page, or see what we do on our services page.

Sources

• https://www.nsw.gov.au/legal-and-justice/consumer-rights-and-protection/safety/other-consumer-products/blind-and-curtain-safety
• https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2014L00363/asmade/2014-03-28/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html
• https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2014L00363
• https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2010L01930/asmade/2010-11-27/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html
• https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/blind-and-curtain-cord-safety
• https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/consumers-and-businesses/products-and-services/business-practices/penalties/penalties-australian-consumer-law-competition-and-consumer-act-2010-schedule-2/penalties-product-safety-and-information
• https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2026A00019/asmade/text

Pictures in this guide are illustrations, not photos of our jobs.