In this picture, the blind is in the up or open position. An infant or child can place their head in the loop and around their neck. The infant or child tires, sits or falls down, and is strangled in the loop. Numerous children have strangled from the looped pull cord. In 1994 the industry standards for window blinds changed from a looped pull cord to two separate pull cords with "safety" tassels at the end of each cord to avoid death and injury on the pull cords. This effort was unsuccessful in preventing pull cord strangulations.

Please see the picture below to see how the 2 separated cords can tangle together forming a loop in the pull cord on a set of brand new very expensive blinds. A safety kit is given out to anyone who will call the Window Covering Safety Council. These kits do not render the product safe and do not prevent pull cord strangulation. Many children have continued to die with these safety kits installed properly.

Blind in free fall occurs when the blind is in the raised position and the child becomes entangled in the cord or cords.

As the child moves, the locking mechanism unlatches causing the blinds to fall down which in turn raises the cords, pulling the child up off the floor, bed, or crib and/or tightening the cord around the child's neck.