Nearly one million more window shades recalled after near-strangulations

Nearly one million Roman window shades are being recalled -- most sold by Bed Bath and Beyond and IKEA -- following three near strangulations, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Infants and young children can become entangled in the exposed inner cord of the shades. About 5.5 million similar shades were recalled in August. Repair kits are being offered to help consumers make the shades safe.

Included in the latest recall are:

• about 364,000 Dublin Energy Solution Roman Shades, imported by Louis Hornick & Co. Inc., of New York, N.Y., and sold at Bed Bath & Beyond .
• about 533,000 ISDANS, TUPPLUR, and ENJE roller blinds sold at IKEA Home Furnishings
• about 90,000 Faux Suede Roman Shades imported by Hanover Direct Inc., (Domestications) of Weehawken, N.J.

The repair kit is not yet ready for the Bed Beth & Beyond shades, which were sold between August 2007 and September 2009 for $40-$130. The CPSC said the kits should be available by the end of November. For more information, contact Louis Hornick & Company between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time or go to their web site.

If you have the IKEA shades, sold between July 2005 and July 2009 for $10 to $55, make sure the tension device provided is attached to the bead chain and installed into the wall or floor. If it is not, stop using the blinds and contact IKEA or go to an IKEA store to receive a free repair kit. They are expected to be available the second week of November. If the consumer has difficulty installing the tension device, contact IKEA for additional information. For more information, call IKEA at (888) 966-4532.

A retrofit kit is available from Hanover Direct for blinds sold on domestications.com and catalogs between January 2004 and December 2008 for $20-$40. Consumers are asked to stop using the shades and get the repair kit by going to the company's recalls page or by calling (800) 524-0597 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.